Losing My Religion
by GirlInTheMirror121
Summary: Songfic based on REM's "Losing My Religion". Sam Evans is smitten by the new kid when he comes back to McKinley. Perhaps a little *too* smitten. At what lengths will he go to fix the broken, blue-eyed boy? M for eventual sex scenes.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or Losing My Religion.**

**Note: Ah, so here's a new one for you to enjoy. I'm not sure why, but I think this song works for the Sam/Rory pairing. This is the first real big Sam/Rory story that I've written, and I hope you'll like it! Rated M for future sex scenes; don't like, don't read.  
**

_Oh, life is bigger  
It's bigger than you  
And you are not me  
The lengths that I will go to_

"Oh, darn it," the new boy mumbled. "Oh, not again…"

Sam had never seen this kid before; he must be new. Still, he felt bad that this kid's books had just been knocked to the floor, and knew how that felt; it had happened to him before. He immediately walked up to him. "I suggest crouching so they can't do that, or getting a bottom locker," he said. "Here, let me help you."

"Thanks," the kid mumbled as Sam handed him his books back.

"Hey, you're new here," Sam smiled warmly. "I'm Sam Evans. I went here last year, but I left for a while when my dad got a new job in Kentucky."

"I'm Rory Flanagan," the new boy said in a quiet, shy voice. "I'm a foreign exchange student from Ireland, and I'm staying the year with Brittany Pearce."

"Ireland?" Sam grinned. "Wicked accent. Sean Connery and all that. Hey, aren't you in New Directions now? I thought I saw you hiding in the choir room."

"Yes," Rory whispered. "Finn Hudson got me to join. He's real great."

"Finn's…well, Finn's something else," Sam laughed. "I still can't believe that he and Kurt are brothers! Talk about an odd couple."

"They're brothers?" Rory looked confused. "But…they have different last names."

"Stepbrothers," Sam corrected. "Kurt's mom died when he was little, and Finn's dad died in Iraq or something like that, so he never really knew him. Their parents got married last year. Actually, New Directions performed at the wedding! It was so cool."

"Finn never told me that he and Kurt are brothers," Rory said softly.

"They don't talk about it much," Sam shrugged. "They didn't get along all that well back when their parents started dating. I think Kurt had this like, mega-crush on Finn, and Finn didn't really like that. Something about Quinn and baby-daddy drama."

"Wait, baby?" Rory looked even more confused, and Sam had to laugh at how adorably lost the kid looked. "What baby?"

"Quinn and Puck had a baby, back in sophomore year," Sam explained. "A little girl, named Beth. They put her up for adoption. Actually, Rachel's birth mom adopted her. Isn't that crazy or what?"

"Rachel's birth mum?"

"They didn't fill you in very well did they, new kid? Rachel has two dads."

"Oh," Rory said softly. "I…I didn't know." He looked vaguely uncomfortable, so Sam decided to change the subject.

"So how old are you anyway?"

"Fifteen," Rory replied. "I'm a sophomore. Kurt…Kurt told me about you."

"And what did he say?" Sam smirked, amused.

"That you're a very nice boy," Rory quietly said. "And that you dye your hair."

Sam gave a hearty laugh. "Just a little lemon juice," he confessed. "Look, I know what it's like to be the new kid here, and it isn't fun. Why don't I be like, your mentor or something? I can tell you who the hottest girls in school are," he nudged Rory.

"Um, that sounds nice, thanks," Rory mumbled. "That's nice of you, Sam Evans."

"Please, call me Sam," the blonde said. "Well, catch you around, Rory."

"Okay…bye…" the blue-eyed boy whispered as Sam rushed off to his own class.

Sam couldn't help to wonder about this new boy in school. His accent was wicked, just like Sean Connery, but a bit younger. His hair was styled sort of like Kurt's: short and a bit tousled, but neatened enough so that it didn't resemble bed head. He hadn't smiled, but Sam could tell that if he had, it would be a dazzling smile, with big white teeth and everything. But what drew Sam in the most, what intrigued him more than anything, were Rory's eyes. They were the purest blue that he had ever seen outside of nature. They were bluer than Brittany's eyes, or Kurt's, but they weren't as green as Quinn's. Rather, they were a remarkable blue-green that Sam had never seen before.

Sam could see a sort of pain behind those eyes, and it pulled him in even more. Was it the pain of being a new kid and having his books knocked out of his hands? Was he just shy, and avoided eye contact? Had he reminded Rory of someone that he used to know? Was it something deeper, something inside that was tearing Rory up into little tiny shreds?

Sam didn't know, but he wanted to. He approached Rory at lunch the next day.

"Hey," he smiled. "You wanna sit with me?"

"Um, sure," Rory shrugged, carrying his tray over to a table near the windows.

"I saw you sitting alone, and, well, I totally know how that feels; it sucks. Why weren't you sitting with the other kids?"

"Well, you know, Mercedes and Santana and Brittany left us," Rory said sadly. "They're in that new all-girl group that Shelby runs."

"Rachel's mom works here now?" Sam bit into his sandwich. "Interesting. Go on." He didn't want to dwell on his ex-girlfriend at the moment. Well, ex-_girlfriends_.

"Rachel's on probation 'cause she rigged the class president election so Kurt would win," Rory pushed his food around his plate.

"Wait, _what_?" Sam asked in disbelief.

"Yeah," Rory mumbled. "Rachel stuffed the boxes so Kurt would become class president. But she turned herself in and now she can't perform at Sectionals."

"Oh man," Sam groaned. "And she's our best! Okay, what else?"

"Tina and Mike had some sort of Asian lunch thing," Rory said. "Finn went to talk to Mr. Schue about something. Artie and I don't get on very well. Kurt and Blaine have a lunch date, too. And Puck grabbed Quinn after class to talk to her about something. So it's just me, really. I don't know," he sighed. "I just don't feel like I fit in here."

"Aw, that's not true," Sam clapped him on the shoulder. _Was that…electricity?_

"Half the time, they can't understand what I'm saying. Or if they do, they choose to ignore me. They all know each other so well, and I'm just…well, an outsider."

"Well, you have me," Sam said graciously. "I'm your friend."

"You are?" Rory's head snapped up. "You mean it?"

"Of course," Sam smiled warmly. "Me and you, we're friends. You wanna come over to my place later? We can watch a movie or something. Well, when I say 'my place', I really mean 'Kurt and Finn's house'. I'm kind of staying with them for a while."

"That sounds…nice," Rory said finally.

"Great," Sam stood up as the bell rang. "Well, I'll see you…"

"Sam," Rory said. Sam turned around to face the younger boy. "You're the only person who's been genuinely nice to me here." He too stood up and walked away without another word, before Sam could say anything else. Sam watched as Rory walked off, his shoulders slumped in some sort of defeat.

_How could anyone be mean to such a sweet boy?_

**To be continued...**_  
_


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or Losing My Religion.  
**

**Note: Hoping to get some more reviews with this chapter. There will be fourteen chapters total in this story. I'm actually really enjoying writing this, so I hope you enjoy reading it as well.  
**

_The distance in your eyes  
I've said enough_

"So…why do you live with Kurt and Finn?" Rory gingerly perched himself on the edge of the living room couch. "Where's your real family?"

"Kentucky," Sam said. "See…oh, wow, this is kind of hard to talk about it."

"I'm listening," Rory placed his hand over Sam's comfortingly. That same jolt of electricity that had been there before shot up Sam's spine. He felt strangely at ease with the blue-eyed boy, comfortable enough to tell him the truth.

"See, I'm from Tennessee, originally. I moved to Ohio when my dad got a new job. But then he lost that job, and…and we were homeless." Rory nodded, listening intently, urging Sam to go on and letting him know that it was okay to. "We lived in a motel for a couple of months. But then he got a new job and moved us out to Kentucky. I guess I know why Finn and Rachel tracked me down now," he laughed, the sound a little forced. "They needed more members, and I was the first one they thought of. I had to beg my parents to let me come back for the rest of the school year, and Finn said I could crash with him when it's not break. Well, that's my story." He studied Rory's face, trying to read into his expression. He realized that Rory's hand was still over his own, and felt Rory's fingers squeeze his.

"Life just sucks sometimes," Rory said finally. "But at least you have friends that care about you and support you. And you have a family that loves you. That's all that matters, Sam." He cleared his throat. "They tell me you're a player."

"I wouldn't say that," Sam blushed. "I dated Quinn, but…well, she cheated on me with Finn. Kind of ironic, 'cause she cheated on Finn with Puck…but, anyway. Then I rebounded with Santana, but she's a…lesbian. And Mercedes…" he sighed. "I really care about Mercedes. I thought she'd still be waiting for me when I got back. But when I finally did, she was with another guy. It hurt so bad, to see her with her new boyfriend. I took her to Prom, you know…she was…so beautiful…" he swallowed hard.

"So you've had your heart broken a fair amount of times, then."

"Yes," Sam said quietly. "I suppose I have." He shook himself out of it, finally pulling his hand out from underneath Rory's. "So…what about you?"

"I don't date," the boy said.

"Why not? Do your parents not let you?"

"Not my style," Rory shrugged. His eyes seemed far away again, and Sam decided not to push it. "You want Mercedes back? You go get her back."

"I can't compete with her new big-shot boyfriend," Sam said sadly. "I'm just this southern hick. And I'm white…she's black…a lot of people in America don't like that."

"So? If you really love her, you won't care what people think about your relationship. She told me a lot about you. I think maybe she still fancies you and was just using this boy as…as a crutch of some sort, thinking you would never come back. Well, then again, I haven't talked to her much, since she left New Directions for the Trouble Tones and all. But she went to Brittany's house one day to rehearse and introduced herself while she waited for Santana and Britt to get out of cheerleading practice."

"What did she say about me?" Sam sat up straighter.

"She told me you were her ex-boyfriend and that you were nice, and that Santana never really liked you. She doesn't like me much, either, so I can relate. Oh, and Santana mentioned your giant lips a bunch of times."

Sam subconsciously covered his mouth. "Oh."

"I don't think they're that big, and I think that Santana is a bitch."

Sam laughed. "Well, thanks, Rory."

Kurt closed the front door. "Oh, hello there, Rory. I see you've made the acquaintance of Mr. Evans. Well, just pray, dear, that he doesn't try to seduce you with his abdominal muscles or a cheesy love song played on the guitar. And Sam, _please_ refrain from doing any of your impressions. Well, I must go get ready; Blaine and I have a study date later."

"But you and Blaine don't have any classes together," Rory pointed out.

"He needs help with his French homework, and since I am fluent in French, I decided to offer him a hand. Oh, I'm sorry, I shan't intrude on your little date any longer!"

"Date? What…" Sam looked confused. But Kurt had already run upstairs.

"Is he always like this?" Rory asked, bemusement in his eyes.

"Actually, ever since he met Blaine…yes, pretty much. Especially after they started dating, back when Kurt was at Dalton Academy."

"Wait, what?"

Sam chuckled. "You have a lot to learn about New Directions."

Later that night, Sam was hanging out in the basement-turned-rec-room. He was throwing a tennis ball against the wall and catching it with an old baseball glove that had been lying around. He looked up as he heard the door open and close. "Hello?"

"Hello, Sam," Kurt sauntered downstairs. "Amusing yourself, I see?"

"Gotta stay in shape for baseball season," Sam grunted. "Did you and Blaine have a nice study date?"

"We didn't do much studying," Kurt smirked. "How was your not-date with Rory?"

Sam blushed. "It was fun."

Kurt gasped. "I was right! You _do_ like him!"

"I do not," Sam blushed harder, bouncing the ball against the wall a little faster.

"You _are_ gay," Kurt leapt onto the couch next to Sam. "I knew it!"

"Am not," Sam grumbled. "I'm just being nice to him 'cause I know what it's like to be the new kid and he was having trouble making friends. That's all."

"Straight guys don't dye their hair, unless they're models or sometimes actors," Kurt said. "And teenage guys especially don't dye their hair, unless they're gay."

"I'm not gay, Kurt," Sam was becoming frustrated. "Rory's cool, okay?"

"He's…nice," Kurt admitted. "A little shy, but he has a good singing voice. Of course, not as good as me…" Sam whacked him with a throw pillow. "Okay, okay! But he's talented, I'll admit that much. Sometimes I have no idea what he's saying, but eh."

"He has the most beautiful eyes," Sam said softly.

Kurt looked at him strangely. "What did you just say?"

"Oh," Sam coughed. "I said, 'I hated to see him cry'. He, um, he was kind of crying. Earlier today. And he looked like a sad puppy."

Kurt frowned. "We…we didn't have anything to do with it, did we?"

"Nah, some jocks were being assholes to him, and he got upset."

"Oh," Kurt settled back into the couch. "Well, if you think he has beautiful eyes, then you should tell him that." He smiled slyly and wiggled his fingers at Sam before getting up and going upstairs to his room.

Sam froze as he realized that Kurt had heard what he'd said after all. Damnit! Well, it was true: Rory did have very pretty eyes. But how was he gonna say that to him?

_The next morning_

"Rory?"

"Oh. Hullo, Sam. How are you today?"

"I'm fine, how are you?" Sam replied politely.

Rory shrugged. "Missing home a lot." His eyes were distant and cloudy.

"Well, I have a proposition for you," Sam leaned against the row of lockers, folding his arms across his chest. "Why don't you come home with me for the holidays? Home to Kentucky, I mean. I called my parents last night, and they don't mind. I don't want you to be alone for Christmas. Brittany told me she's going to New Mexico with her parents, which would mean that you'd be in their house…all alone…for over a week…well, unless you're going home yourself, and in that case, I've been rambling for nothing."

"It's too expensive to fly home right now," Rory said somberly. "So yes, I'd be here. I…I'm not sure, Sam. We just met and all. Are you sure your mum and dad wouldn't mind me staying there?"

"Nah," Sam smiled. "My siblings would love to have someone else to play with. And by play with, I mean bug incessantly!"

"Siblings?" Rory brightened. "How old are they?"

"They're twins. Stacy and Stevie. They're six. They still believe in Santa, and I kind of like keeping the magic alive for them. Why, do you have any?"

"I have a younger brother, Seamus. He's seven, just a year older than yours. I miss him so much." Rory paused. His eyes seemed clearer now, brighter even. "I think I'd like to spend the holidays with you, Sam Evans."

"Great," Sam grinned. "That…that sounds great."

**To be continued...**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or Losing My Religion.  
**

**Note: Well, here's to another chapter. I know you guys are excited to see the Evans family, so here they are! Now, to study for my American Civ II final exam. Sigh. Just that one, then my Writing 102 Honors final before I'm home until September! Hooray!  
**

_That's me in the corner  
That's me in the spotlight  
Losing my religion  
Trying to keep up with you  
And I don't know if I can do it_

"How long does it take to drive to your home?"

"About four hours, so you're stuck with me for a while. You don't get carsick, do you?"

"No," Rory murmured. "I was just wondering."

"Do you mind if I turn on the radio?" Sam asked. Rory shrugged. Sam bit his lip and turned on his favorite twenty-four/seven Christmas station. He loved Christmas music, and would admittedly listen to it year-round, not just in December. "Oh, I love this song." He turned up the volume on Elvis Presley's "Blue Christmas".

"Please, turn it off," Rory seemed to fold into himself. "Or…switch the station, please."

"Sorry," Sam quickly pressed the button to start up a CD that was in the stereo. "That song…does it…oh, you miss your family, don't you? Oh, I'm so stupid."

"It's not your fault," Rory murmured. "I don't really want to talk right now, Sam."

"Okay. We don't have to," Sam said quietly, knowing he had stricken a nerve in the younger boy (whom he'd found out was just fifteen years old). He turned up the volume on his Jason Mraz CD, humming along every so often. It wasn't until he pulled into his driveway hours later that he remembered Rory was even there; he had been so quiet throughout the trip. "Well, here we are." Sam laughed as he saw the faces of the twins peering out from behind the curtain in the living room. "There they are!"

"Sammy, Sammy!" Stacy and Stevie came barreling towards him before he could even get out of the car.

"Hey, squirts," he grinned as he got out of the car and picked up both of them and hugged them tightly. "I've missed you guys so much."

"I've missed you too, Sammy," Stevie said.

"I've missed you more," Stacy bragged.

"I bet I've missed you guys more than you've missed me," Sam said.

"Who's that?" Stacy pointed at Rory.

"That's my friend, Rory. He's staying with us for the holidays. Rory, these are my siblings, Stacy and Stevie."

"Hullo," Rory said shyly.

"You talk funny," Stevie blurted out.

"Stevie, that's not nice!" Stacy chided. "But…but he kind of does," she admitted.

"I'm from Ireland," Rory smiled gently. "I have a different accent than you guys."

"Ireland?" Stacy's eyes lit up. "Like…like Lucky the Leprechaun?"

Rory chuckled. "Yes, like Lucky the Leprechaun."

"Coooooool," she breathed.

"Sam!" Their mother ran out of the house. "Oh, my darling, it's so nice to have you home again, finally!" She hugged and kissed him. "And this must be your friend, err…"

"Rory Flanagan. It's nice to meet you, ma'am," Rory said politely.

"Call me Mrs. Evans, please," she smiled. "Well, I'm sure you are both hungry after your long drive. I have lasagna in the oven waiting for you. We'll eat when Mr. Evans gets home at six. Rory, you'll be staying in the guest room, okay?"

"Okay, Mrs. Evans," he said. "I'm sure it will be lovely."

"Aren't you so polite," she smiled. "Some people I know could take the hint," she looked pointedly at her children. Sam blushed.

"Come on, Rory. I'll show you where the guest room is." He led the brunette into the house and up the stairs. "My room is there," he pointed towards it. "Stacy's is there, and Stevie's is downstairs. My parent's room is downstairs, too. Ah, here we go," he opened the door to a sunny, cheery room. A handmade quilt was on the bed. The walls were a calming shade of yellow, and the curtains white, creating a nice summery feeling. Rory put his bag down on the floor and perched himself on the edge of the bed.

"It's very…very nice," he said quietly. "And…and you're down the hall?"

"Yep," Sam nodded. "Well, I'm gonna unpack. Let me know if you need anything, okay? Bathroom's between this room and Stacy's." He gave Rory one last look before closing the door and giving the boy some privacy. He was worried about the blue-eyed boy. He was unfailingly polite to his mother and his siblings—as he was with all adults Rory had seen him interact with—but he hadn't said a word in the car after Sam switched the radio to something else. He had always been a little distant, but he seemed even more out of reach than ever. There was something lurking behind those haunting eyes, something that Sam just couldn't understand. He knew Rory felt like he wasn't fitting in with the rest of the kids, and he knew that Rory missed his family.

But what else was driving the boy to a place that Sam couldn't reach?

_Later_

"Will you play with us, Rory?" Stacy asked sweetly.

"Sure," he shrugged. "What do you want to play?"

"Candy Land," Stevie said immediately. "Sammy never wants to play it with us."

"Is that so?" Rory smiled. "Is Sammy really that mean that he wouldn't want to play with such adorable, sweet children?"

"Yes," Stacy said seriously.

"Don't let them fool you!" Sam called from the kitchen, where he was helping his mother do the dishes. "I'm an awesome big brother!"

"He's okay," Stevie rolled his eyes.

"Well, I'd love to play Candy Land with you," Rory told them.

"Cool! I'll go get it," Stevie ran into his room to grab the game. He came back moments later, setting it up on the living room floor. "What color do you wanna be?"

"Blue is nice," Rory said.

"Cool. I'll be yellow," Stevie said.

"Yeah, and I can be green," Stacy cut in.

"You sure you don't wanna play, Sammy?" Stevie called.

"I'm sure. Have fun with Rory," he answered.

"Okay," Stevie shrugged. "Sammy lets us win sometimes," he whispered.

"I do not!" Sam yelled.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" Stacy asked.

"I have a younger brother, Seamus. He's seven," Rory told her.

"Is he here with you?" She asked.

"What? Oh, no. He's back in Ireland."

"Then how come you're here and he's there? Are your parents divorced?"

"I'm studying at Sam's school for the year. My parents and Seamus are back home, in Ireland. I'm staying with Brittany, one of Sam's friends, as a guest. It's called studying abroad. I'll go back home when the school year is over," he explained.

Sam winced; he kind of didn't want Rory to leave.

"Do you have a cat or a dog?" Stevie asked. He'd been begging their parents for a pet for some time now, but with his mother's allergies, it was out of the question.

"No," Rory said. "But Seamus has a hamster. His name is Zippy."

They chatted and played the game until Rory let Stacy win. Sam couldn't help but to listen in on their conversation from where he was in the kitchen. Rory was good with children. He kept up a playful banter and joked around with them. He answered all of their questions about his family and life in Ireland. He let them win game after game of the repetitive game until his mother announced that it was bedtime.

"But we don't even have school tomorrow," Stacy pouted.

"Yeah, tomorrow's Christmas Eve," Stevie whined.

"Bed, both of you," she said sternly. "Say goodnight to Sam and Rory and scoot off."

"Night, Sammy," they hugged their big brother.

"Goodnight, Rory," Stacy hugged the brunette sweetly.

"Oh! Goodnight to you, too," he seemed surprised by the affectionate gesture. He waved as they went to their bedrooms.

"Finally," Sam sighed, flopping down on the couch.

"It's nice to have you around, son," Mrs. Evans said. "We missed you."

"I was only gone for like, a month," Sam laughed.

"When you have children someday, you'll understand," she smiled. "So, Rory. Tell me more about your family. What do your parents do for work?"

"My Mum stays at home, and my Dad is a lawyer," he replied. "He does family court cases, not criminals or anything like that."

Sam took in what the boy was saying with interest. He'd never really heard Rory talk about his family before, aside from his little brother. After talking for a while to his mother, Rory excused himself to go to bed. Sam followed up upstairs.

"Um, I think I can go to bed on my own, thanks," Rory said.

"Oh, right," Sam said lamely. "Well, uh, goodnight, then."

"Goodnight," Rory nodded, slipping into the guest room. Sam watched as he closed the door. He sighed and went into his own bedroom. It still looked unfamiliar and not like 'him' yet. He smiled at his _Avatar_ poster; his favorite movie always gave him comfort. He slipped into his pajamas—flannel pants and a worn t-shirt—and burrowed under the covers. He wondered what Rory wore to bed. He wondered what Rory dreamed about. He wondered how Rory looked when he was sleeping—probably like an angel, Sam surmised.

Wait, had he just likened Rory to an angel?

**To be continued…**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or Losing My Religion.  
**

**Note: All done with school now! Hooray! I'm home now, and have loads more time to do this. And yes, I'm really drawing out the buildup to their relationship, if you couldn't tell by the fact that this is an entire chapter dedicated to Christmas Eve.  
**

_Oh no, I've said too much  
I haven't said enough_

Sam was awoken in the middle of the night by a loud thump from down the hall. He instinctively moved towards Stacy's room, figuring she'd had another one of her nightmares and fallen out of bed again, but as he peeked in around her door, he found her to be sprawled out on her stomach, sound asleep. He smiled; he'd missed his little sister while he was away. He closed her door and curiously walked to the end of the hall to the guest room. He rapped on the door lightly. "Rory? Hey, you okay?" With no answer coming, he opened the door and found Rory sitting on the floor, looking dazed and upset.

"I had a nightmare," he whimpered. "And I fell…out of bed…oh, this is so embarrassing. I'm sorry you have to see me like this, Sam." He pulled one of the fallen blankets closer around him, shivering against the sudden cold.

"Hey, it's okay," Sam shuffled into the room and sat on the floor next to the brunette.

"No, it's not," Rory shivered still. "I made a fool out of myself."

"My siblings do it all the time, it's really okay," Sam reassured him. "You're shaking, Rory. Here," he pulled the blanket around the brunette even tighter, wrapping him in a sort of cocoon, like he sometimes did with Stacy.

"Thanks," Rory murmured.

"You're good with kids," Sam told him. "Stacy and Stevie adore you already."

"Suppose I have experience with them," Rory shrugged. "I'm sorry for waking you up, Sam."

"I was on my way to the bathroom anyway," Sam lied. "It's okay, really."

"I'm going to try to get back to sleep," Rory attempted to stand up, but tripped over the blankets and would've face-planted if Sam hadn't grabbed him in time. The blonde's breath hitched as he caught the blue-eyed boy in his arms. "Such a bloody idiot," he muttered. "Sorry."

"It's fine," Sam smiled gently. Rory crawled back into bed. "Well…goodnight."

"Goodnight, Sam," Rory waited for Sam to leave the room before rolling over and falling into a strange, dreamless state of sleep. Sam, on the other hand, couldn't sleep at all. He kept replaying the moment when Rory fell into his arms. The boy had smelled so good and looked so beautiful and helpless. He wondered what the nightmare that had shaken the smaller boy so much had been about.

He was awakened by a soft knock on his door. His mother poked her head in. "Honey, I'm going to the store for last-minute shopping."

"Aw man," he sat up. "I forgot to buy stuff for Stacy and Stevie. Can I go with you?"

She smiled. "But who will watch the kids?"

"Oh right," he said.

"How about we make a deal," she leaned against his door frame. "You watch your brother and sister until I get back, and then you and Rory can do your own shopping."

"Deal." Sam yawned. "Well, I'm going back to-"

Before he could say 'sleep', his brother bounded into the room and jumped on his bed, tackling him. "Sammy, get up! It's Christmas Eve! We gotta make cookies for Santa!"

"Oh all right," Sam grumbled. "Go on, get up. Go down in the kitchen. I'll be down in a few minutes, okay?" He slowly got out of bed and went to the bathroom. Rory's door was open, the bed neatly made. He suspected the brunette was already downstairs, waiting for him, entertaining his siblings. He smiled to himself; Rory was so great with kids. He shuffled downstairs and sure enough, Rory had already eaten breakfast and was pulling items out of the refrigerator and cupboards. "H…hey," Sam said awkwardly.

"Hullo," Rory said. "Your Mum said we can make cookies, for Santa Claus. I've got two great helpers here, right?"

"Yep," Stacy wiggled in her chair.

"Right," Stevie nodded.

"Need any help?" Sam asked.

Rory pulled Sam aside, towards the living room. "If you don't mind, I'd kind of like to take charge of this. It helps me when I'm missing my own little brother. Why don't you go shower or something and then we can watch a movie with the kids while the cookies bake and cool?"

"As long as you let me have a spoonful of batter," Sam laughed. "Sure, why not?" He clomped upstairs to take a warm shower, reveling in the warm water. His mouth tingled as he smelled the heavenly scent of cookies baking in the oven. He quickly dressed and ran into the kitchen, where he found Rory and his siblings cleaning up. "Oh my God, that smells so good."

"Here you go," Rory handed him a spoonful of batter. "As promised."

Sam ate it in one bite. "Oh wow, that's fantastic! What's in this?"

"A Flanagan family secret," Rory smiled. "And these two aren't allowed to tell."

"It's a really cool secret," Stacy giggled.

"Sammy, can we watch a movie? And can we have grilled cheese for lunch?"

"Yes and yes," Sam told his little brother. "Go grab a movie, okay?"

"Come on, Stace. We'll rock-paper-scissors to pick!" He and his twin ran into the family room to squabble over what movie to watch. Sam chuckled as he watched them debate on what Disney classic they wanted to see that day.

"They're so cute," Rory said fondly. "They were a real help with the cookies, too."

"I love them so much," Sam said quietly. "When we were…homeless…I was more worried about them having enough to eat than I did. I took on a job delivering pizzas to try to make enough money for food while my dad was job-hunting. I even sold my guitar for more cash. The rest of the Glee kids bought it back for me. I…I cried," he admitted.

"It's okay to cry," Rory told him. "It doesn't make you less of a man. If anything, it makes you more of a man, because you're brave enough to show your emotions."

There was a moment where their eyes locked, and Sam felt something lurch in his stomach. He wondered how often Rory cried, and why he did, and where he did. The moment was broken by the shrieks of six-year-olds.

"Alright, what's going on here?" Sam asked, standing over the bickering children.

"I wanna watch _Toy Story_, but she wants to watch _The Little Mermaid_," Stevie whined.

"Well, how about I choose the movie?" Sam offered.

"Nah, you play favorites," Stacy snubbed her nose. "Can Rory choose?"

"Me?" Rory looked flattered. "Okay. Well, do you have _The Lion King_?"

"Yeah," Stevie pulled if off the shelf.

"Let's watch that," Rory said simply. "It's a film we can all enjoy." The oven beeped. "I'm going to go take the cookies out of the oven, but why don't you set up the movie and I'll be right back?"

"Okay," the kids agreed, and popped the movie into the DVD player. Sam settled on the couch, one twin on either side of him. They snuggled up against him, having missed their big brother. Rory came in just as the movie started, sitting down next to Stacy, who let go of her brother and cuddled next to the Irish boy.

"Oh," he said, surprised, but let her fling her arms around him and burrow into his side. He smiled softly; sisters sure were different than brothers. Seamus loved this movie, and he had fond memories of watching it over and over with him. He knew almost every word and could sing every song backwards. He hadn't realized he'd been singing along softly to each song until "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?"

"You're incredible," Sam whispered.

"Thanks," Rory murmured, blushing. He liked to sing, but was always nervous about singing in front of anyone else but his little brother. He didn't think he was as good as the other guys in Glee club, but he enjoyed being able to sing and have his voice blend in with the others, not being a standout.  
Sam couldn't believe what an incredible voice Rory had. The accent completely melted away, but the voice was so rich and deep, and unexpected of a boy like that. Baritones were rare in their Glee club—Rory was the only one to date—and Sam didn't know why the others didn't like him. They should've; Rory was a really great guy. Rory knew all the appropriate call-back lines for the movie, the right times to gasp and laugh (oh, God, his laugh was so cute) and cry.

In short, he was perfect, and Sam wanted him.

Later, Sam and Rory were in Sam's car, heading to the mall. "Have you ever been to an American shopping mall?"

"No," Rory played with his phone.

"Oh boy," Sam grimaced. "It's a bit of sensory overload, just gonna warn you now."

"Don't worry about me," Rory was distracted by a game of Pac-Man. "It can't be as bad as London during the holidays. We did that once, as a family. Never again."

"Alright," Sam sighed. "I just have to get things for my parents and siblings. We won't be too long." He also wanted to get something for Rory, but that would involve purchasing it in secret so the boy didn't see. He found a parking spot that wasn't a mile away from the mall and the boys hustled inside, bundled against the cold. "Hey, why don't we meet in the food court in an hour? It's upstairs, you can't miss it."

"Okay," Rory nodded. He ventured off towards the left, and Sam made a dash to the toy store to shop for his brother and sister.

_Later that night_

"Alright, it's present time," Mrs. Evans said cheerfully.

"What do you mean?" Rory frowned.

"Well, on Christmas Eve, we each pick one family present under the tree and open it. We save the Santa presents for tomorrow," she explained.

"I choose…I choose this one," Stacy pulled one from the bottom of the pile.

"Hey, why do you get to go first?" Stevie protested.

"Because I'm older," she stuck her nose in the air.

"By three minutes," Stevie grumbled.

"Stacy, you can go first. Then Stevie, then Rory, then Sam," Mrs. Evans reasoned.

"Yay," Stacy wiggled excitedly, ripping the paper off of the package.

"Who's it from?" Mr. Evans prompted.

"Oh, um, it's from Rory," she said, surprised.

"You didn't have to get the kids anything," Mrs. Evans told him.

"I know, but I wanted to. I'd feel bad if I stayed here and didn't get you anything in return. Think of it as a thank-you present for allowing me as a guest in your home," Rory said politely. "Besides, they remind me so much of my own brother…"

"Oh! The new Barbie that I've been wanting!" Stacy exclaimed. "Thanks so much!" She ran over to the blue-eyed boy and flung her arms around him.

"You're welcome," he chuckled. "I'm not sure what girls like, but I figured a doll would be nice, and the lady in the store said this one was very popular."

"My turn," Stevie proclaimed. He picked out Sam's present for him and opened it eagerly. "Oh, wow, a remote-control car! Thanks, Sammy!"

"Anything for my little squirt," Sam rubbed his brother's shoulder affectionately.

"Rory, here's one for you," Stacy said sweetly, handing him a box.

"I…I didn't expect any gifts," he said honestly.

"It's from me and Stacy," Stevie told him. "We made it when you went to the mall with Sammy."

"Well…well, thank you," Rory said, stunned. Why was everyone being so kind to him? He unwrapped the gift carefully. "Oh, this is so nice," he held up a clay sculpture of…well, he wasn't sure _what_ it was of, but it was the thought that counted. "Thank you, Stacy. Thank you, Stevie. I'll treasure this always." He set it aside to admire later.

"Here's one from your mother and me," Mr. Evans gave a package to Sam.

"Cool," Sam smiled. "Oh, awesome, I needed more guitar strings and picks. Thanks, Mom and Dad!"

"You're welcome, son," Mrs. Evans smiled. "And now it's time for two little twins to get to bed!"

"Aww, but we're not even tired," Stevie whined.

"Yeah," Stacy yawned. "Not even tired one little bit."

"Wait," Rory paused dramatically. "What was that?"

Sam looked at him strangely. "What was what?"

"I think I heard…bells…sleigh bells, to be exact," Rory gave the blonde a sly grin.

"I think you're right," Sam said with a gleam in his eye.

"No way," Stacy's eyes widened.

"Way," Rory winked. "I think Santa's near. You best be getting off to bed so he can eat those delicious cookies we made and leave you guys your presents." Zoom; the twins were off and running and had their lights out, in bed, within ten minutes. "Works every time," Rory laughed. "Seamus always fell for that one."

"You love kids, don't you?" Mrs. Evans smiled.

"I do," Rory said softly. "I want to work with them someday."

Sam looked at him in wonder. How was Rory a better person than he was? How was he so sweet and good with both adults and children? How did he have such an incredible singing voice and that great accent…not to mention those deep blue-green eyes…Sam felt his stomach lurch for about the hundredth time since he'd met Rory. "I'm going to watch a movie in my room," he mumbled.

"May I join you?" Rory asked, unfailingly polite.

"Sure." Sam's heart fluttered again, rat-a-tat-ing in his chest. He climbed the stairs, saying goodnight to his parents, and ducked into his bedroom, Rory close behind him.

"I…see, Seamus and I always watched Frosty the Snowman every year on Christmas Eve," Rory said quietly. "And…well, I don't know what your traditions are, but…"

"We can watch Frosty, sure," Sam shrugged. He flipped through the channels and found it just as it was starting up. Rory looked around awkwardly for where he was supposed to sit. "Ah, sorry," Sam apologized. "I used to have a chair but it got lost in the move. Here, come sit with me on my bed." Rory nodded and silently did so. He sat cross-legged towards the front of the bed while Sam kicked back against the pillows. He loved watching Rory's facial expressions as he watched the classic TV special. Rory knew every line verbatim, and his eyes lit up at certain scenes, no doubt recalling fond memories of watching it at home with his little brother. Rory's smile took his breath away, more so than Quinn's ever had.

_I'm not gay,_ he told himself. _It's just one of those man-crushes, no big deal_.

But even long after they'd said goodnight to each other and gone their separate ways to bed, Sam couldn't stop thinking about the blue-eyed boy.

**To be continued…**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or Losing My Religion.  
**

**Note: So glad you guys are enjoying this. Don't expect any mutual feelings for a while, though. I'd like a slow buildup for this one.  
**

_I thought that I heard you laughing  
I thought that I heard you sing  
I think, I thought, I saw you try_

"Sammy, Sammy, Sammy!"

Sam's eyes fluttered open. "What is it?"

His twin siblings landed on his bed. "It's Christmas! Santa came!"

"Oh, right," Sam rubbed his eyes. "Merry Christmas, guys."

"Come on," Stevie bounced on the bed. "Let's go!"

Sam looked at the alarm clock. "Steve, it's 7:30 in the morning. Go back to bed, get some sleep." _Or let me get some_, he thought wearily.

"We have the whole week to sleep. Christmas only comes once a year," Stacy reasoned.

"Oh, all right," Sam stretched out. "Why don't we go wake up Rory?"

"Okay," they leapt to the floor. The twins padded down the hall to the guest room. "Rory, Rory, wake up! It's Christmas!"

Sam chuckled to himself. He joined his siblings in Rory's room. "I swear I didn't tell them to do that," he joked.

"Yes you did," Stacy said bluntly.

"It's okay," Rory ruffled her hair affectionately. "I'm used to it."

"Santa came!" Stevie trilled. "He came and left presents and ate _all_ the cookies!"

"All of them? Really?" Rory played along. "That's fantastic!"

"Come on," Stacy tugged on his arm. "Let's go open presents!"

"Yeah, Rory, let's go open presents from Santa," Sam smirked.

"Okay, okay," Rory sat up. "Who wants a piggyback ride downstairs?"

"Me, me!" The twins raised their hands.

"Can I go with you?" Stacy asked shyly.

"Of course," Rory said. "Hop on!" Stacy climbed on his back and put her arms around his neck. Sam laughed and pulled Stevie up on his back.

"You're so cool, Rory," Stacy giggled.

"I think someone has a crush," Sam teased. She turned red. _I should speak for myself_.

"Well, good morning to you," Mrs. Evans smiled pleasantly from where she had been reading the newspaper and drinking a cup of coffee in the living room.

Rory bent down so Stacy could slide off his back. "Merry Christmas, Mommy!"

"Happy Christmas, Mrs. Evans," Rory said.

"Merry Christmas, dear," she said kindly. "I see Stacy's taken well to you."

"She's a sweetheart," Rory said honestly.

Sam and Stevie came tromping down the stairs. "Mama, it's Christmas!" He jumped down and ran off to jump on his mother's lap.

"Merry Christmas, Ma," Sam kissed her cheek.

"Merry Christmas, darling," she returned the kiss.

"Where's Daddy?" Stacy asked.

"In here," he called from the kitchen. "Getting the pancakes ready for later!"

"Oh, yum," Sam rubbed his stomach. "I'm hungry!"

"You're always hungry," Mrs. Evans teased. "Well, shall we distribute the presents?"

"I have to admit," Rory said, sitting cross-legged on the floor, "I don't expect you to have gotten me anything. After all, you just met me two days ago, and I'm just a relatively new friend of your son's."

"Any friend of our children's is a friend of ours," Mrs. Evans said. "And you're our guest for the holidays. Of course we got a few small things for you."

Rory blushed. "Thanks," he mumbled appreciatively as Stacy plopped down next to him.

"Here," she handed him a messily-wrapped gift. "It's from Sammy," she whispered.

"Oh, is it now?" He chuckled.

Sam flushed with embarrassment. "Sorry it's so messy."

"It's fine," Rory flashed him that brilliant smile. "I wonder what it could be?"

Sam's heart fluttered in anticipation as he watched Rory try to figure out what was in the package he'd wrapped late last night and slipped under the tree with some of his other family presents. "Here, Stace," he handed her a brightly colored package. "From your favorite brother," he winked.

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, cool, an arts and crafts kit! Thanks, Sammy!" Sam knew his little sister loved to color and paint, so this was the ideal present for her.

"You're welcome. And one for you, Stevie," he handed him a similarly wrapped box.

"Cool. Oh wow, Megatron! Thanks, Sammy, you're the best brother ever!" Stevie excitedly held up the Transformer to show everyone.

"Rory, you should open Sammy's present now," Stacy said shyly.

"He does seem to give good presents," he smiled at her. "Well, let's see what this is, shall we?" He unwrapped it—slowly, Sam thought, much too slowly—and pulled out a blue knit scarf that matched Rory's eyes and a sweater that went with the scarf.

"Oh, that's lovely," Mrs. Evans murmured. "It complements your eyes so well."

"Thank you, Sam," Rory breathed. "I love it. I'll wear it tonight," he set the sweater aside, but put the scarf around his neck.

"It looks…it looks amazing on you," Sam could hardly process his thoughts with Rory sitting in front of him looking more beautiful than he ever had before. He couldn't do anything but to stare at the boy and wonder how in the world he was still single.

"Here," Rory gave him a flat box. Their fingers brushed against each other in the hand-off, and Sam shivered. He wanted the touch to last longer. "It's not much, but…"

"I'm sure I'll love it," Sam managed to say. He couldn't imagine what Rory could've possibly gotten for him, but was dying to know. "Oh, wow a…wait, is this an _Avatar_ watch?" He asked incredulously. He'd mentioned exactly one time that _Avatar_ was his favorite movie to Rory, and the fact that Rory had remembered was awesome.

"You mentioned you liked that film. I've never seen it, but you have that poster in your room and all, so I figured you'd like it. You do like it, don't you?"

"Yes!" Sam exclaimed, putting it on his wrist. "This is like, the coolest present I've ever gotten! Thanks, Rory! Hey, maybe we can watch the movie later."

"That would be fun," Rory smiled. They continued to open presents, and while Sam loved all that his parents and siblings got for him, he loved Rory's present the most of all. He and Rory clomped up the stairs afterwards to put their presents away. "Mind if I call my mum and dad?" Rory asked.

"Yeah, sure," Sam nodded. He waited for Rory to retreat into the guest room. Curiosity got the best of him, and he wondered what Rory's home life was. He pressed an ear to the door and listened. Rory began speaking in a language Sam didn't understand, but he did pick out his own name and 'Kentucky', so he knew Rory was talking about him. He only wished he understood what the blue-eyed boy was saying. He couldn't help but to notice how light and happy Rory's voice was when he was talking to his family. He waited a good ten minutes before he could stand it no longer and knocked on the door lightly.

"Come in," Rory called in English. Sam took a deep breath and poked his head in the room. Rory switched back to the unfamiliar language, grinning as he hung up the phone.

"How…how many languages do you speak?" Sam asked.

"Two; English and Gaelic," Rory answered. "Why, do you speak any others?"

"Just Na'vi," Sam mumbled. "And that's not even a real language."

"I can teach you a little Gaelic," Rory said. "That is, if you want."

Sam's heart fluttered rapidly. "I'd lo…I'd like that, a lot." Why was his throat so dry all of a sudden? Why had he been about to say "love"? He didn't want Rory to get the wrong idea…they were just friends, right? It's not like Rory would ever have feelings for Sam. Heck, Sam didn't even know if Rory was straight or not! A burning inside him demanded to know. "Rory, do you…have a girlfriend back home?"

Rory winced visibly. "No. I do not."

"I'm sorry. That was a personal question. I…I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"I'm an outcast back home," Rory said softly. "I don't have many friends. I've never been asked to a dance. I've never really been on a date. I'm kind of a loser."

"You're not a loser," Sam shook his head. "You're awesome. Lots of kids speak Spanish or French or whatever, but you're the only kid at McKinley who can speak Gaelic." Rory gave him a tiny smile. "You have a brother who adores you. Heck, even my own siblings, who have known you for two days, adore you! You're kind and sweet. You're…you're unique, Rory. Don't ever change that, okay?"

Rory bit his lip. "I don't get it," he mumbled.

"What?"

"Why are you so nice to me?" Those blue eyes flashed a dark, haunting blue, akin to something you'd find at the bottom of the ocean.

"Us losers gotta stick together," Sam joked.

"I'd like to be alone, please," Rory said quietly.

"What's wrong?" Sam asked concernedly.

"I…I just want to be alone," Rory whispered. "Please leave."

"Leaving," Sam quickly slipped out of the room.

A soft knock came on his bedroom door hours later. "Yeah?"

Rory opened the door a crack. "May I come in?"

"Of course," Sam gripped his guitar harder. The blue-eyed boy came into the room and closed the door behind him. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, thank you." Rory was always so polite, always knew the right thing to say. "I wanted to apologize, Sam. I should not have been so…I should not have said that to you. This is your home, and it was not my place to tell you to leave the room. I am sorry."

"It's okay," Sam shrugged.

There was a moment of awkward silence. "I wish I could play the guitar."

"Can you play anything?" Sam asked.

"My Pa taught me to play the piano, but I'm afraid I'm not as good at it as he is."

Sam licked his lips. "Make you a deal. I'll teach you to play guitar, if you teach me how to speak Gaelic."

Rory's eyes lit up. "You mean that, Sam?"

"Sure," Sam said. "Here, why don't we have our first lesson now? Come sit by me." Rory hesitantly sat on the edge of Sam's bed. "Don't be shy," Sam blushed a little. Rory scooted closer to the blonde, until their knees were nearly touching. Sam turned even redder; he had never been this physically close to the Irish boy, and he hoped Rory couldn't hear how hard his heart was beating. "Here," Sam slipped the guitar strap around Rory. "Put this hand here, and this one over here." His fingers tingled as they touched Rory's, electricity that could not be matched anywhere else or with anyone else.

"Like this?" Rory's eyes begged for Sam's approval.

"Not so much like you're strangling the neck of the guitar," Sam said gently.

"Oh," Rory looked embarrassed. "How's this?" He loosed his grip a little.

"Perfect," Sam murmured. He taught Rory to play a few simple chords, and the boy took like a duck to water. He was a natural, Sam had to admit, and Sam couldn't take his eyes off of the younger boy.

"Now, I will teach you a few simple Gaelic phrases," Rory said, carefully putting the guitar on the floor. "_Dia duit_," that means "hello".

"_Dia…duit_," Sam repeated, knowing he was probably butchering the pronunciation.

"Not bad," Rory winced. "Maybe something a little easier. _Is é mo ainm_ Rory."

"I'm guessing that means 'my name is Rory'," Sam chuckled.

"Yes," Rory smiled. "Why don't you try it?"

"_Is é mo ainm_ Sam. Did I do it right?"

"Very nice, Sam. _Sásta bualadh leat_."

"…what the heck did you just say?" Sam blinked in surprise.

Rory giggled. "I said 'pleased to meet you.' I'm sorry; my accent must make it all the more foreign to you."

"So…you're fluent in Gaelic?"

"They teach it to us in grammar school. It's a dying language, unfortunately, but I think it is one of the most beautiful languages in the world. There are many wonderful songs in Gaelic, but hardly anyone knows them anymore. It's such a shame."

"Can…can _you_ sing in Gaelic?" Sam couldn't bring himself to look at the other boy.

"Yes," Rory again looked a little embarrassed.

"I think that's awesome," Sam put a hand over Rory's. "I think that's really special."

Rory pulled his hand away as if it were on fire. "I'm nothing special."

"But Rory-"

"You don't even know the first thing about me, Sam Evans. You don't know about my past, or my family, or even my middle name."

"Mine's Paul," Sam said quietly. "Samuel Paul Evans."

Rory looked at him in surprise. "Rory Alexander Flanagan."

"Now I know one thing about you," Sam smiled. "And I'd like to know more."

"I…I don't know," Rory said cautiously. "I've never really had a best friend before. No one knows my secrets. Not that I…have a lot of secrets…"

"Everyone has secrets," said Sam. "I'm good at keeping secrets."

"Is it true?" Rory whispered.

"Is what true?"

"I heard that Quinn cheated on you with Finn. Is it true?"

"Oh, that," Sam breathed a quick sigh of relief. "Yes, she did."

"And it's true that you lost your virginity to Santana?"

Sam flinched. "That would also be true."

"I see," Rory said tightly. "I think I shall go see if your mum wants help setting up for supper. Goodbye, Sam."

"Bye," Sam mumbled. _Ugh, shouldn't have admitted that I had sex with Santana. But it's better than lying to him, and there's no way in the world that I could ever hurt that boy. _

**To be continued…**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or Losing My Religion.**

**Note: I promise, I won't drag out the "when will they get together?" for much longer. I swear, it'll happen very soon. Just bear with me, okay? **

_Every whisper  
Of every waking hour  
I'm choosing my confessions  
Trying to keep an eye on you  
Like a hurt, lost, and blinded fool, fool_

Sam was kissing Rory. Rory was moaning at Sam's kisses, warm and writhing beneath Sam, both of their bodies naked. Sam was laying kisses along the length of Rory's body, hot burning kisses that seemed to scald Rory's pale skin. He was taking Rory's hard penis in his hand, stroking it and stroking it, as Rory continued moaning and panting.

When Sam woke up, his underwear and sheets were wet. "Shit!" _I just had a wet dream about Rory…oh God, oh God…no, this is not happening right now, no way, no how…_He leapt out of bed and changed his underwear and sheets. It wasn't the first time he'd had a wet dream, but it was the first he'd ever had about a boy. It was even more embarrassing when Sam considered the fact that the boy in question was right down the hall. He froze in the middle of putting new sheets on his bed. _Am I…gay?_ He didn't have anything wrong with being gay. He was friends with Kurt and Blaine and Santana and supported them despite their sexualities. He didn't care if people were gay or not; as long as the relationship was a healthy one, he had no problems with it. But he didn't know if he could handle being gay himself. What would he tell his parents? What would he tell his friends? What would he tell his little brother and sister?

Worse, what would he tell Rory? "Hey, I think I have feelings for you?"

He realized it now, his feelings for the blue-eyed boy. They were way more intense and powerful than those of his feelings for Quinn, Mercedes, or Santana. He'd never felt his skin catch fire when he touched their hands. He never stumbled over his words around them. He never felt this lurching feeling in his stomach just hearing their voices.

And none of their eyes were as pretty as Rory's.

Sam loved that endless blue color of Rory's eyes. They were like the purest ocean, a color Sam had never seen before, even in nature. They were full of things that Sam couldn't decipher; pain and sadness, yet a light glimmering in the back somewhere that Sam longed to reach. If only he could sum up the courage to tell Rory what he was feeling. If only he knew Rory's feelings for him.

He froze again. He wasn't even sure about Rory's sexuality. All Rory said was that he didn't have a girlfriend. That didn't mean he was gay…but it didn't mean he was entirely straight, either. What if Rory wasn't straight? Did Sam have a chance? Could he win the younger boy over? Oh, no—what would happen when Rory had to go back to Ireland? Sam didn't want to think about that day. He just wanted Rory, more than he ever wanted anyone before. He wanted to hold him and kiss him and see if the spark was still there when their lips touched. It certainly had been in that dream. But then again, dreams were just dreams. They were just scattered thoughts in your mind left over from the day. Sam had no control over what he dreamed.  
He wondered vaguely if Rory had ever dreamed of him, too.

He wanted to know so, so badly.

_Later_

"Rory, I have to talk to you."

"Okay," Rory sighed. "What about, Sam?"

"First of all, if you're…offended or anything…that I slept with Santana, I'm sorry. She kind of talked me into it. It didn't mean anything, really. She was just trying to prove that she wasn't gay. I felt really used after, but I've forgiven her." He begged Rory with his eyes to forgive him and tell him that it was okay, that he accepted the apology.

"I accept your apology," Rory said after several moments. "But I don't understand why you did what you did. You should've waited until you found the right girl."

"I didn't want to be the last virgin in Glee club," Sam shrugged.

"Well, now that honor belongs to me. Thanks a lot." Rory's eyes went icy with anger.

"Rory, I-"

"Forget it, Sam. I don't understand why people can't just wait until they find the right person. I haven't met them yet, so I haven't had sex yet."

"Them?" Sam's heart beat faster. "Are you…what's your…"

"I do not wish to talk to you about this," Rory's eyes went icier still.

"You can trust me," Sam told him. "I won't tell anyone. If you're gay or whatever, I'm totally cool about it."

"I don't want to…no…Sam, stop trying to get to know me. If I want you to get to know me, I will open up to you. But I don't want to right now."

"Ouch," Sam looked stung. "Harsh, Rory."

Rory shrugged. "That's the way I am sometimes."

_The next day_

"Sammy, it's snowing!"

"Really?" Sam got up and peered outside the window. Indeed, the world was already covered in a blanket of white, and still more was coming down from the grey skies.

"Can we go play in it?" Stacy begged. "Please, please, please?"

"Well…" Sam's parents were working, and he was delegated with the task of babysitting (which at least he was getting paid for). "I don't see why not. Make sure you put on your snowsuits, and your gloves, and boots, and hats. Oh, and your scarves, too. If you need help, come see me, okay?" The twins raced off to get dressed for the snowy day. Sam cautiously tapped on Rory's door. "The twins and I are going outside to play in the snow. You can join us…if you want…" There came no answer, and, defeated, Sam slumped off to his room to shrug on some old sweats, gloves, and a hat. At the last minute, he put a scarf his grandmother had knitted around his neck. He pulled on his boots and joined the kids downstairs, who were practically vibrating with excitement at the first snowfall.

"Wait!" Rory ran downstairs. "Wait, I want to join you."

"Yay," Stacy squealed. She grabbed Rory's hand and squeezed it tightly. He smiled at her. "Can we build a snowperson, Rory? And can we make snow angels?"

"Of course we can do those things, Stacy," he said.

"Can we have a snowball fight?" Stevie asked his big brother.

"Yeah, sure." Sam couldn't take his eyes off of Rory…Rory, who was wearing the blue scarf that he had bought for him, the one that matched his eyes perfectly. Rory, who looked so adorable, all bundled up for the cold. Rory, who his little sister clearly adored.

Rory, who would never be his, for Sam never knew what to say.

"Well, let's go," Rory said brightly. Sam followed wordlessly.

"Sammy?" He looked down at his little brother. "Why do you look at Rory like that?"

He sighed. "I can't really explain it, Stevie."

"Do you love him?"

Sam didn't know how to answer that question. His brother's eyes—so young, and in that moment, so wise and intuitive—were full of admiration and wonder and questions. "I don't know," he answered finally. "I honestly don't know."

Stevie thought this over. "How do you not know if you love someone?"

"Sometimes love is complicated," he tried to explain. "You may think you love someone, but you don't. And you may think you don't like someone, but deep down, you do."

"Can boys love boys?"

Sam froze. He closed his eyes; how to explain this to a six-year-old? "Yes," he said after a few moments. "Remember how I told you about my friend, Kurt? And his boyfriend, Blaine? They love each other, and they're both boys. Boys can love boys, and girls can love girls. Love…love is just love, Stevie. It doesn't matter who it's with. It's the same whether it's two girls, two boys, or a boy and a girl."

"Oh." Stevie seemed to accept this answer. "So then you can love Rory and it's okay?"

"Yes," Sam whispered. "I can." His eyes followed Rory as the blue-eyed boy helped his little sister build a "snowperson", rolling the body with her and assisting her in lifting the head on top of it. "But Stevie, I'm not sure if I do love him or not."

"Is it different than how you love me? Like…is grown-up love different than parent love or sister/brother love?"

"Very different," Sam nodded. "Hey!" He yelled as he was hit by a snowball. Stacy, from across the yard, giggled, Rory smiling approvingly.

"Nice aim," Rory high-fived her.

"I'll get you back for that, Flanagan!" Sam immediately dropped down and scooped up a clump of snow, molding it into a ball. "Don't forget, I'm a baseball player!" He lobbed the snowball back at Rory, who ducked and missed it.

"It's on, Evans!" Rory flung one right back towards Sam. "Me and Stacy against you and Stevie!"

"Oh, you're _so_ on," Sam grinned wickedly.

_Later_

"Hot chocolate, Rory?"

"Oh, yes, please," Rory gratefully accepted the steaming mug from Sam. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Sam sat down across from him at the kitchen table. The twins were watching a video in the living room, wrapped in a blanket and munching on popcorn.

"My Mum makes great hot chocolate. She puts a little cinnamon in it. It's great."

"Tell me more about her," Sam sipped his drink carefully.

"Everyone tells me I get my eyes from her," Rory said softly. "I think I get them from my Pa, though. She's a great woman, really, she is. I love her dearly. My Pa is great, too. He is the editor of a magazine. Mum stays at home with Seamus."

"You guys sound close," Sam averted his eyes from Rory's bright ones.

"We are, we are," Rory nodded. "I miss them a lot, though."

"I don't know if I could do that," Sam admitted. "Living with a complete stranger in a strange country, away from family and friends for a year. I can see it would be fun and all, and it's a cool opportunity, but I think I'd miss home too much."

"Oh," Rory sighed. "I do miss it, don't get me wrong, but it's nice here, I suppose."

"Is the weather the same there as it is here?" Sam asked curiously.

"A little colder than it is here," Rory said honestly. "But it is more beautiful there."

"Wow, sounds awesome," Sam said. _'Sounds awesome'? How lame was that?_

Rory giggled. "It is 'awesome'."

_That night_

"Hey, you still up?" Sam knocked on the door.

"Yeah, come in," Rory called back. Sam took a deep breath and did. Rory put a bookmark in the novel he had been reading and set it aside.

"Oh, you're reading," Sam said uncomfortably.

Rory frowned. "You do not like to read?"

"I…" Sam winced. "I'm dyslexic. Words get all mixed up in my brain, and…and I have problems reading and writing sometimes. I'm pretty bad at spelling, too. That's why I like music and movies and that stuff and only read when I really have to. I have to read really slow, too, or else the words get totally mixed up and I get confused."

Rory was silent for several moments. "I am sorry."

"Don't be," Sam murmured. "I hate being dyslexic. I'm always in the resource room at school and spelling things wrong on my homework and tests and stuff. It makes me feel so…so…so stupid sometimes."

"You're not stupid," Rory said quietly. "And it's not your fault that you have problems reading and writing. From my understanding, millions of people have dyslexia. In fact, some of the most famous people in the world had or do have the disorder."

"Really? Like who?" Sam asked curiously.

"Oh, loads of people," Rory shrugged. "Walt Disney had dyslexia. Henry Ford had dyslexia. Muhammad Ali, George Washington, Alexander Graham Bell…even John Lennon, and Stephen Spielberg."

"Wait, Stephen Spielberg is dyslexic?" Sam was dumbfounded. "As in, one of the greatest movie directors on Earth?"

"Yep," Rory grinned. "See, you're not alone. If you want, I can help you with your homework. You know, check it for spelling and grammar."

"That would be great," Sam admitted. "Stacy and Stevie always ask me for help, but I'm too embarrassed to help them. I don't want to admit that I can't spell certain words or read 'saw' for 'was' by accident and then they look at me funny. I'm their big brother; I'm supposed to help them. They look up to me so much…"

"They love you no matter what," Rory told him. "They don't care if their big brother has dyslexia. You're their big brother, and you're always there for them. That is what matters. They will not care either way."

"Thanks," Sam mumbled.

"Here," Rory gestured to the space on the bed next to him. "Want me to read to you?"

"What, like a bedtime story?" Sam smirked.

"Yes," Rory said evenly. "Like a bedtime story. I think you will enjoy this book."

"Oh, all right," Sam crawled onto the bed. He didn't want to, but he fell asleep listening to Rory's soft voice reading to him…

…and woke up in his own bed, wondering how he had gotten there.

**To be continued…**


	7. Chapter 7

__**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or Losing My Religion.  
**

**Note: Okay, so here's the big moment you've all been waiting for! Let's see how Rory takes the news, shall we?  
**

_Oh no, I've said too much  
I've said enough_

"I can't believe it's already New Year's Eve," Sam sighed. "Vacation's almost over."

"When do we have to go back to Ohio?" Rory asked.

"Well, since New Year's Day is a Saturday, we can go back on Sunday. School starts up again on Monday. Man, I can't wait for college, when we get like, a month off."

"College?" Rory furrowed his brow. "Oh, right. We call that 'university' in Europe."

"University," Sam playfully mocked Rory's accent.

"Oh, shut it," Rory rolled his eyes, but chuckled to himself. "It will be strange, not being home for New Year's. My parents and I always celebrated together. Seamus tries to stay up, but he never seems to make it past 10:30. He just falls asleep on the couch, and then I have to carry him back to his room. My uncle comes over, and we celebrate with him."

"So do you have any cousins or anything?"

"Yes," Rory nodded. "Jenny and Eva. They're eight and five."

"Does it suck, not having anyone your age to talk to?"

"Not really. My uncle and I are really close. I don't mind hanging out with him."

"Well, the twins won't make it to midnight, either, so I guess it's just you and me tonight. Mom and Dad are going to Dad's big fancy office party, so we're babysitting."

"Oh, I don't mind. I love babysitting, most of the time anyway. And your siblings are absolute angels."

"That's because you don't live with them," Sam joked. "They can be real twin terrors sometimes. But I love them, even when they are being brats."

"Alright, we're leaving now, boys. Here's the number of the hotel, and you know our cell phone numbers. There's money on the table if you want to order out. Remember to-"

"I know, I know. Lock the doors, feed the twins, and put them to bed. Just go and have a nice time, Mom," Sam said.

She eyed him carefully. "Sorry, I'm just paranoid. I've never left you overnight with the twins before."

"Relax, I have Rory with me. He's a good kid. We won't have any wild parties or anything. The wildest we'll get is maybe having a Mario Kart marathon."

"Okay," she said slowly. "Well, we're off." She kissed her son on the forehead and headed out the door with her husband, both dressed to the nines.

Sam closed and locked the door behind them. "Well, Mom and Dad are gone!"

"Sammy, can we have mac and cheese for dinner?" Stevie pleaded.

"We can, yeah," he went into the kitchen. He pulled a box of Kraft from the cupboard and stared at the directions on the back. "Oh God…"

"Need some help?" Rory's soft voice asked.

"Yes," Sam mumbled. "I…I don't understand these instructions."

"It's okay," Rory murmured. "I'll cook, don't worry. You go entertain the twins."

Sam ducked his head, embarrassed. "Thanks."

"No trouble at all," Rory turned the stove on to boil the water. Sam wandered into the living room listlessly, finding his siblings whispering to each other.

"Hey, what's the secret? Trying to figure out how to stay up til midnight?"

"Stacy and I were talking, and you know how you're supposed to kiss someone on New Year's Eve at midnight?"

"…yes…" Sam looked confused. Where had his little siblings heard that one?

Stevie glanced sideways at his sister. "We think you should kiss Rory tonight."

Sam nearly fell over. He steadied himself, grabbing onto the arm of the couch. "Wh…wh…wh…what?" His heart pounded like crazy in his chest at the mere possibility of kissing Rory, period, let alone on New Year's Eve.

"It's supposed to bring you luck in the New Year," Stacy shrugged. "And maybe it'll help New Directions win their next competition. Besides, he'll be the only one here tonight for you to kiss, and you like him-like him."

"I can't just kiss him," Sam whispered furiously. "He doesn't like me-like me back."

"But can't you just try?" Stacy whined.

"Look, I'm not kissing anyone at midnight tonight. Mercedes and I broke up, you know that. I'm still not over her, okay? I can't just go around kissing boys I barely know."

"We just want you to be happy," Stevie said in a small voice.

Sam sighed heavily. He sat on the floor with his brother and sister. "Look, guys. Yeah, I have feelings for Rory. But Rory just likes me as a friend. It would make things really awkward if I kissed him like that. I don't even know if Rory like boys or girls."

"What about you? You dated Mercedes and Quinn and Santana but now you like Rory."

Sam looked at the carpet. "I guess I like boys and girls."

"How do you know Rory just likes you as a friend, though? Have you asked him?"

"Well, no," Sam admitted.

"Then how do you know for sure? Mom always says you don't know until you try."

Sam bit his lip. "I don't want to risk ruining our friendship."

"Sometimes you gotta take a risk, Sammy."

"Yeah, you can't learn to ride a bike without skinning your knees."

Sam gazed at his siblings in awe. When did they get so smart? He took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "Okay. Okay, I'll do it, tonight."

"Dinner's almost done," Rory called from the kitchen. "Wash up and get ready."

Sam slumped into the kitchen and washed his hands in the sink quickly. "Thanks again. You know, for making dinner. You didn't have to. We could've ordered a pizza."

"Oh, I know," Rory shrugged. "But I wanted to." He opened the refrigerator and pulled out a carton of milk, pouring three glasses for the twins and himself.

"Mmm, that smells good!" Stacy bounded in. "Rory, you should be a chef when you grow up. You'd be really good at it."

He laughed. "I kind of wanted to be a teacher," he told her. "But I'll keep that in mind."

They dug into the meal. "This is the best mac and cheese ever," Stevie declared.

"Yeah, what's your secret?" Sam asked.

"Can't tell. It's a family recipe," Rory winked. Sam blushed. When they finished, Sam helped Rory wash the dishes. It was the least he could do.

"Alright, so now we have to make sure they take their baths and put their pajamas on. They should be in bed by nine, though. They don't bathe together anymore, but we can do it in shifts, if you want. Stevie tends to put up a fight so I can take care of him first and then come back for Stacy later."

"That's fine," Rory agreed. "I'll play a card game with her while you're busy."

"Then maybe we can watch a movie after they've gone to bed?"

"I would like that," Rory smiled.

An exhausting hour and a half later, both twins were tucked into bed, adequately bathed and read a storybook to. "Well, we have a few hours before the ball drops. Now what?"

"I don't know," Rory shrugged. "What about that movie?"

"We can watch _Avatar_ again," Sam's eyes gleamed hopefully.

"Err, um, I didn't care for it much the first time around," Rory confessed.

"What?" Sam was aghast. "It's the best movie ever!"

"It seemed like a…what do you call it? Knockoff of _Pocahontas_."

Sam pouted. "Fine. You pick the movie, then." Rory squatted down by the movie case, running his fingers along the spines of the numerous titles. Sam tried not to notice how nice Rory's ass looked in those jeans, and gulped hard. Rory finally picked one out.

"_Back to the Future_?" Sam looked surprised. "I haven't watched this in years. Okay." He popped it into the DVD player and settled back on the couch. Rory curled up in a nearby armchair, wrapping himself in a blanket. Sam had almost forgotten how good the movie was and how much he had loved it when he was younger. Rory watched intently, almost as if he were part of the action, almost as if Marty McFly understood him. Sam briefly wondered why this was so, but didn't dare to question it, for fear of upsetting Rory yet again. It wasn't until the film was over and the credits were rolling that either boy spoke.

"What a good movie," Sam cleared his throat.

"Yeah," Rory whispered. "It is…"

"Well, it's almost eleven."

"Which means it's almost twelve in New York. Which means we can't watch the ball drop in real time now, can we?"  
Sam paused. "That's true."

"It's okay," Rory said. "We don't have to. We certainly don't in Ireland."

"Okay," Sam settled back into the couch. "So, what do you want to do until midnight?"

"Wait a moment," Rory ran upstairs. He came back down a few moments later. "We only have a few chapters left in our book. Would you like to finish it?"

"Sounds great." Sam, much as he didn't want to admit it, had gotten really into _Looking for Alaska_, the book Rory had insisted he'd like. Sam didn't know how enjoyable reading really could be, and he loved the way Rory read it to him. He also really liked the main character of the book and his friends. Rory cracked open the book to where they'd left off the night before and began to read, his voice sturdy and clear. They finished five minutes to midnight, and Rory set the book beside him on the end table.

"Well?" Rory looked at Sam in anticipation. "What did you think?"

"That was…it was great," Sam reluctantly admitted. "I really liked it."

Rory's face grew smug, as if to say, 'I-told-you-so'. "John Green has a new book that I am dying to read, called _The Fault in Our Stars_. I do not doubt that it is excellent."

"Why do you speak so precisely?" Sam blurted out.

"Oh," Rory turned a little red. "I'm sorry. I'm afraid my Pa had a lot to do with that."

"No, it's fine," Sam cast a glance at the clock. 11:58. "I was just wondering."

They sat in silence for several moments. "Look, thirty seconds," Rory pointed excitedly at the clock. "Twenty-seven, twenty-six, twenty-five…" Sam's heart hammered harder than it had before. In twenty seconds' time, he'd be kissing Rory Alexander Flanagan. "Twelve, eleven, ten, nine…" Sam took a deep breath and inched closer to Rory. "…four, three, two, one!"

"Happy New Year," Sam murmured, and brought his lips to the Irish boy's. _Oh God, yes._ Rory's lips were sweeter and softer than Sam ever could have imagined they would be. He was sure that his heart would leap clear out of his chest, for it was beating so hard and fast. His hands fumbled to find Rory's face and they gently touched his cheeks. Sam could feel the heat emanating from Rory's skin. Was he angry? Embarrassed? Enjoying this as much as he was? Painfully, still longing to make the connection, Sam broke away.

Rory stared at him for many tense moments. Sam found it impossible to read his expression. "Sam…" Rory dared to breathe. "Why…why did you…"

"I like you," Sam admitted. "A lot. And…it was midnight on New Year's Eve…if you kiss someone, it's supposed to bring you luck in the coming year…I…I figured…"

Rory began to visibly shake. "No, Sam, I…oh, God, no," he moaned and put his head between his knees. "No, no, no…"

"I'm so sorry," Sam immediately apologized. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable or anything. I…if you're straight, I'm...I didn't know…oh, I'm so stupid!" Rory was shaking harder, his shoulders heaving, and Sam realized that the boy was crying. Sam wanted to reach out and comfort him, but didn't know if he should or not. After an agonizing ten minutes, Rory finally lifted his head.

"There…is so much…that you do not know about me, Samuel Evans. There is so much that I cannot explain to you about me, about my past. But this is one thing that I can explain to you, and that is this: I promised myself that I would not fall in love during my year here. Conversely, I would not get close enough to anybody to allow them to fall in love with me. But I have failed miserably, for you have fallen for me, and I am afraid that I have now fallen for you, too."

Sam's breath hitched in his throat. "You…you have feelings for me?"

"Yes," Rory said in the quietest voice Sam had ever heard. "And I am sorry, Sam, but I cannot be with you. I wish I could tell you why, but I cannot."

"You're straight, aren't you?" Sam groaned. "I should've known!"

"No," Rory sighed heavily. "I consider myself open to love, no matter where it comes from. I do not identify with a specific sexual orientation…and that…well, that was my first kiss, Sam. And it felt good, it honestly did. That's what I was afraid of."

"Rory, I…"

"I am going to bed now," Rory stood up suddenly. "Goodnight, Sam." He swiftly turned on his heel and ran up the stairs.

"Rory, wait," Sam attempted to call softly after him, but he heard the sound of the guest room door closing and sat back down, punching the couch pillow. "Damnit!" He was having trouble processing the night's events. Shoulders sagging in defeat, he dragged his feet upstairs, pausing by the guest room's tightly locked door. Out of habit, he pressed his ear to it. He could hear Rory talking to someone in rapid-fire Gaelic. Judging by the pauses in conversation, Sam guessed that Rory was talking to his family. Although the blue-eyed boy had taught Sam some Gaelic words and phrases, he was speaking too quickly for Sam to be able to comprehend what he was saying. The only words that Sam could pick out were the ones that Rory kept repeating over and over: "tá mé leithscéal, tá mé leithscéal." I am sorry, I am sorry.

**To be continued…**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or Losing My Religion.  
**

**Note: Gah, I know, what's up with Rory? Soon, my dears. This chapter sort of wrote itself, but I promise all will be better by chapter 9.  
**

_I thought that I heard you laughing  
I thought that I heard you sing  
I think, I thought, I saw you try_

"Rory, can we please talk about this?" Sam banged on the guest room door. "Rory? Oh, come on. You can't stay in there forever." He hadn't seen or heard a word out of Rory since last night, and he was getting worried. "Okay, well, I'll be in my room…" Sighing, he spun around and walked smack into Stacy.

"What's wrong with Rory?"

"He's not feeling very well," Sam lied.

"Did you do it?" She whispered.

"Look, Stace, I don't want to talk about it, okay?"

"Okay," she whimpered. "I'm sorry."

He closed his eyes; why did they always have to guilt-trip him like this? "I like Rory, and he likes me. But it's just not gonna work out between us. I wish it would, but it can't. He doesn't want to be my boyfriend. No matter how much I want him to be."

Rory, who had been listening to every word Sam had been saying, slid against the wall and curled himself into a ball. He hadn't known that Sam wanted to actually date him. He wished he could be with Sam. He wished it with all of his heart. But he knew he couldn't. It would destroy _everything_, and he couldn't chance that. Sam didn't know anything about his past. He didn't know everything that Rory was hiding, the things he hadn't told to anyone. Maybe it was time he told someone what was going on. Anyone but Sam. Anyone, anyone but Sam. He fished his cell phone from under a pile of dirty clothes and dialed a number he had only called once or twice before. He held his breath as it rang. "Hullo, Kurt? Yes, yes it's Rory. Happy New Year to you, too. Is Blaine there with you? Great, can you put him on speakerphone? I have to ask you two something. It's about something that happened between me and Sam last night…"

_Next Day_

"Well, let's head back to Lima now," Sam said half-heartedly. Rory blinked. He hadn't spoken to Sam since their disastrous kiss the other night. The only contact the blue-eyed boy had had outside of the twins was Kurt and Blaine, who had given him sound advice on what to do next. He wasn't quite ready to talk to Sam about what he was feeling just yet. He climbed into the truck, slipping his headphones on so he wouldn't have to talk to Sam the ride back. He just turned his Celtic music on full-blast, losing himself in the familiar words, finding it easier to listen to his native language than English. Sam drove in stony silence, occasionally glancing over at the Irish boy, who was lost in his own world. He didn't know how he did it, but he made it the four hours back to Lima. He wordlessly dropped Rory off at Brittany's house and drove back to the Hummel-Hudson home, where he was immediately pounced upon by Kurt.

"What in the _world_ happened the other night?" Kurt demanded.

Sam did a double-take. "Kurt, what are you talking about?"

"Rory called me and Blaine," Kurt folded his arms across his chest. "He told me that you kissed him out of the blue. Now, my gaydar proved to be right about you, but what gives you the right to just go around kissing boys who you don't even know are straight or not? Like, what if I just went up to some boy on the street and kissed him? Hmm?"

"Then you wouldn't have a boyfriend anymore," Sam said honestly.

Kurt dropped his signature bitch glare. "My point is," he said through clenched teeth, "you really shouldn't have done that. Do you know how upset Rory is about this? He called me practically in tears."

"He…he said he likes me, though," Sam sputtered. "He told me he does."

"Well, you clearly upset him," Kurt said exasperatedly. "Do you know he's considering leaving after midterms because of what you did?" The look on Sam's face told Kurt his answer. "Do you know that he can't handle a relationship right now? God, Sam, you're such an idiot."

"I…I'm so sorry…" Sam choked out. "I…I'll be in my room…" he dropped his bags in the foyer and ran up the stairs two at a time, slamming the door to his pseudo-bedroom shut.

Kurt stomped into the living room, muttering curses under his breath. "I can't believe it!"

"You didn't tell him?" Blaine looked surprised.

"How could I?" Kurt huffed. "No, we'll let Rory tell Sam himself. I'm just so frustrated with Sam right now."

"He couldn't help his actions," Blaine reasoned. "He's a teenage boy. Of course he's going to act on his feelings. I mean, where would you and I be if I didn't take that chance?"

Kurt softened. "I guess you're right. But what should we do? Poor Rory is so shattered by this decision. I don't want him to miss out on being in a relationship with Sam."

"If I know Rory, he'll make the right choice in the end. Like you and I did," Blaine smiled. "Come here." Kurt went and sat on Blaine's lap. "What did I tell you?"

"Courage," Kurt gave him a tiny smile.

"And what did you do?" Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist.

"I told you that I liked you," Kurt sighed, having gone through this routine before.

"And then what happened?" Blaine's hand caressed Kurt's cheek.

"You finally woke up," Kurt murmured. "And we fell in love."

"That's right," Blaine reached up to kiss Kurt tenderly. "With any luck, they will too."

_Later_

"Sam? Can I come in?" Finn asked.

"Yeah," Sam answered. "Whatever."

Finn stood awkwardly in the doorway. "So, um, you're like, gay now?"

"Bisexual, I think," Sam said weakly.

Finn nodded. "It's okay with me, bro."

"Thanks," Sam muttered.

Finn frowned. "You alright? You look miserable, man."

"I'm fine," Sam tried to keep his voice even. "Just had a long week back home."

"Okay," Finn seemed to accept this for now. "Let me know if you wanna talk."

"Yep," Sam stared straight ahead at the wall. Finn, not knowing what was going on but not wanting to get involved, stepped out of the room and went to his own. Sam hardly slept that night. His mind kept whirling with the possibilities of why Rory didn't want to get involved with anyone romantically while he was abroad and why he insisted that he couldn't be with him. He knew it wasn't because Rory was totally straight or anything like that. And he was pretty sure it wasn't the age difference. Maybe Rory just didn't like long-distance relationships. Maybe his parents didn't know that he liked boys sometimes, and they weren't okay with that. And if they weren't, Sam certainly didn't want to risk Rory being kicked out of his home or anything. Maybe…maybe…maybe…

Sam's eyes met Rory's in the hall at school the day after. The blue-eyed boy ducked his head and stared down at his sneakers as he walked away to class. Sam wanted to run after him, to tell him that he was sorry and that he just wanted them to be okay again.

"Sam!" The blonde turned around to see Artie wheeling towards him. "How was your Christmas?"

"Good," Sam said. "How was yours?"

"Awesome," Artie declared. "Hey, so I was thinking, maybe we can have a Star Wars marathon sometime soon?"

"Sure," Sam shrugged. "This weekend, maybe?"

"Sounds good," Artie fist-bumped him. "Cool. Well, see you in Glee."

"Yeah," Sam nodded. "See you then."

Glee rehearsal was tense, as Sam and Rory weren't speaking to each other. Rory sat on one side of the room, chatting and laughing with Kurt and Blaine, while Sam sulked in the opposite corner. "You feeling okay?" Mercedes asked kindly.

"Tired," he mumbled. It hurt him, to see Rory smiling and talking to Kurt and Blaine. Why could he talk to them and not him? Why, all of a sudden, was he animated and talkative? He tried to pick up on some of their conversation but realized they were speaking French (had Rory lied about speaking French, too?) and Sam again had no clue what they were saying. That made three languages that Rory could speak fluently, and Sam was insanely jealous that he could only speak English. His shoulders tensed even more when Mercedes began to chat with Tina about potentially going on a double-date with her boyfriend, Shane, Mike, and Tina that weekend. It still hurt, that Mercedes had dumped him and hadn't waited for him to come back and was dating a guy who Sam didn't like.

But he thought Rory rejecting him was the harshest rejection of all.

He had Artie over on Saturday for an ultra-Star Wars marathon. Artie had brought all six movies with him, and they intended on watching all of them in order to finally settle the old-vs.-new debate once and for all. Artie preferred the original trilogy, while Sam adored the newer trilogy. He helped Artie get downstairs to the recreation room and lifted him from his chair to the couch, as he had done so many times before. He never had minded doing favors for Artie. Artie was one of his closest friends, and shared his love of science-fiction movies. Sam wasn't afraid to let his true nerdy colors shine through around Artie, and felt comfortable with the handicapped boy. Sam popped Episode I: The Phantom Menace into the DVD player and settled back on the couch with Artie.

"Okay, Jar Jar Binks is the _worst_ character ever to be added to a franchise," Artie complained. "He screws _everything_ up for the later movies."

"No way," Sam shook his head. "If he _hadn't_ screwed everything up, then the first three movies would've been pointless!"

"Never insult the original Star Wars trilogy," Artie's eyes narrowed behind his glasses.

"I didn't insult them! _You_ insulted the prequels!"

"Oh just because you have the hots for Amidala and I'm a sucker for Leia…"

Artie ended up falling asleep sometime during Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. Sam chuckled to himself and moved closer to Artie, letting the bespectacled boy rest his head on his shoulder so that he might be more comfortable.

Unfortunately, he picked the wrong moment to do just that. Rory came downstairs—when had he come over?—and froze immediately upon seeing the scene.

"What…what are you doing here?" Sam's eyes grew wide with concern.

"Kurt offered to help me with a solo for Glee club, and then asked if I would sleep over. I came down here to find the sleeping bag he said was in the closet."

"Oh, yeah, it's over there," Sam gestured behind him. _Why had Kurt invited Rory over for a sleepover? How did I not know that Rory was over here?_

"I see how it is," Rory said in a tight, clipped voice. "They were right. You are a player, and I see that clearly now."

"What?" Sam said, perhaps a little too loudly, because Artie woke up.

"Hey, what's going on?" He blinked rapidly. "Rory, what are you doing here?"

"How long were you going to play me like this, Samuel Evans?"

"You think I'm _playing_ you?" Sam stood up furiously. Artie fell over. "Sorry, Artie. Rory, I can't believe you think I was playing you the other night."

"Well, this didn't look very friendly, what with the lights being off and Artie's head being on your shoulder. Sam, how could you betray me like this?"

"_Betray_ you?" Sam yelled. "I didn't freaking betray you! Look, Artie fell asleep, I moved him a little so he wouldn't hurt his neck too much, and that was it! It's not like he can move himself into a more comfortable position!"

"Um, right here," Artie waved. "I can hear everything you're saying."

"I can't believe I ever fell for you, Samuel," Rory hissed.

Kurt came barreling downstairs. "What the hell is going on down here?"

"Kurt, stay out of this," Sam clenched his jaw.

"Rory, come upstairs with me. Forget the sleeping bag. Whatever feud you're having with Sam can wait until morning, when we're all more awake and sane. Deal, boys?"

"Fine," Sam spat.

"Whatever," Rory mumbled. His eyes flashed dark with hurt as he climbed the stairs, Kurt trailing behind him.

"What," Artie looked from the stairs to Sam and back again, "the hell was that about?"

"Nothing," Sam stared at the closed basement door, breathing heavily. "Nothing…"

"Bullshit," Artie declared. "Sam, I'm your best friend. Tell me the truth."

"Fine," Sam huffed and spun around. "I'm in love with that boy, okay? Happy now?"

"Rory?" Artie tweaked his glasses. "Um, this is an unexpected revelation, Sam." He tweaked his glasses again. "So you're, uh, gay or what?"

"Bisexual," Sam sighed. "And I guess Rory thought you and I are involved and I'm playing him…see, we kind of sort of maybe kissed on New Year's Eve…"

"How do you kind of sort of maybe kiss someone? Either you kissed or didn't."

"Okay, so we did," Sam said all in one breath. "And now Rory's more confused that ever about if he wants to be with me or not, and since when did he and Kurt become friends?"

"Sam, you need to relax," Artie said calmly. "Now, tell me the story from the beginning. Maybe I can help you out here. Granted, my track record isn't that great but I'd be willing to try and help in any way that I can. We're best friends; I just want you to be happy. I don't care that you're bi. Hell, Kurt and I have been friends since we were toddlers and I don't care that he's gay and has a boyfriend."

Sam sat back down. "Thanks," he said after a few moments.

"You're welcome," Artie said. He cleared his throat. "So, tell me the story."

Sam sighed. "It all started when I got back from Kentucky…"

**To be continued…**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or Losing My Religion.**

**Note: I know some of you are upset with Rory in the last chapter, but he has reasons, trust me, and you'll find those out soon enough. Finally, finally. This is it, guys, the big moment. Hope you enjoy!**

_That was just a dream  
That was just a dream_

"Okay, Evans. You can do this. Just go up to him and say you're sorry and tell him how you really feel. Just do it. What's the worst that can happen? Okay. Okay." Sam fixed his hair in the bathroom mirror quickly before heading out into the hallway. He knocked twice on Kurt's door. "Hey, Rory? Are you still here?"

A tired-looking Kurt opened the door. "Please, Samuel, you've interrupted my required eight hours of beauty sleep. Mr. Flanagan went back to the residence of Brittany S. Pierce a couple of hours ago. Now, please leave, or risk my wrath."

"Right. Thanks," Sam said lamely, backing up before Kurt threw something at his head. He grabbed his keys and headed for his truck, where he drove directly to Brittany's house. He had heard that Brittany usually spent her weekends at Santana's, and hoped he wasn't waking Mr. and Mrs. Pierce up. He quietly knocked on the front door. He hung back, hoping someone might answer. A minute—a long, long minute—later, Rory himself answered, something Sam had not been prepared for. "Oh. Um. Hey."

"What do you want?" Rory asked crossly.

"Five minutes," Sam said. "Just…five minutes."

Rory looked him up and down, and Sam held his breath. "Fine." He stepped aside and let Sam pass through. He silently went upstairs and to his bedroom, Sam close behind. Once they got to the room, Rory shut the door and sat on the bed. "Five minutes starts now."

"Rory, Artie and I are best friends. We have been ever since I first went to McKinley last year. We just like to watch science-fiction movies together, that's all. He fell asleep, like he always does, and I tried to make him more comfortable. I swear to God, that's exactly what happened. I'm not a player, okay? Look," he sighed. "Quinn cheated on me with Finn. Santana used me for sex to make Brittany jealous. And Mercedes didn't want a long-distance relationship; that breakup was mutual. If any one of the guys in Glee is a player, it's Puck. I think, with the exception of Tina, he's been with every girl in that choir room in one way or another. I like _you_ Rory, not anyone else. I want to kiss you, hug you, hold you. I want to be with you, and only you, no one else. Please, Rory. Just…please forgive me and tell me you wanna be with me, too."

"Of course I _want_ to be with you," Rory said softly. "But I told you, Sam, I cannot. What would happen when the year is over? I do not want to be in Ireland and know that you are here without me. You are a year ahead of me in school, and there would be no way for us to be together. We would have, what, six or seven months together before I would have to go back, possibly for good? No, Sam. That would break my heart more than not being with you would."

Sam crossed the room in two steps, gently grabbed Rory's cheeks, and planted a firm kiss to Rory's lips, lingering there, not wanting to pull away. "There," he whispered, chest heaving. "You can't tell me you didn't feel anything from that."

"I felt everything," Rory murmured. "_Everything_. I just don't understand…how could this have happened? I…I wasn't supposed to fall for you."

"You can't just plan these things." Sam closed his eyes. "Please, Rory. Please. At least…_consider_…being with me. As my boyfriend. I don't care about the eventual distance. That's why we have Skype. And Facebook. We can call each other. I…I can study abroad when I'm in college. Please…please…Rory, I…I want you so much…"

"And I want you," Rory breathed. "More than I can possibly say." Sam looked at him hopefully, biting his lower lip as he waited for Rory's answer. "I…I need to think about this tonight. I shall let you know tomorrow if I want to…to take this chance."

Sam's shoulders slumped. "Okay. But Rory," he lowered his voice. "I'd wait for you forever." He kissed Rory on the cheek and left him alone to think. Rory, hands shaking, knew he had two phone calls to make, one of which might devastate him. He picked up his cell phone and began to dial, holding his breath the entire time, cheek burning from where Sam had kissed it.

Sam couldn't sleep that night, either. He wanted to know what Rory was going to say to him the next day at school. He wanted to know if Rory was going to say yes, that he would be his boyfriend, or if he was simply going to break Sam's heart by saying no. He tossed and turned, unable to get comfortable. He was too hot, or too cold. His stomach hurt from the nerves and his heart kept speeding up in random bursts. He wandered around like a zombie the next morning, dark circles under his eyes. "Rory."

"Hullo," Rory murmured. "I have thought it over, what you said. And I shall give you an answer now." Sam sucked in a breath as he waited. "I want to take this risk, Sam. It is a big one, and though my head is telling me I should not, my heart is telling me that I should. Yes, I will be your…boyfriend," he whispered the last word so people passing by in the hallway couldn't hear and immediately start gay-bashing them.

Sam swayed, stumbling over his own feet. Surely, he was still dreaming. "You will?"

"Yes," Rory stepped closer to the blonde. "I will."

Sam let out a whoop of joy, and Rory couldn't help but to laugh. Sam swept Rory into a massive hug, holding him tight to his chest. "I haven't been happier in so long."

"Me, too," Rory admitted. "Me, too." He let Sam lead him into the choir room, where he shot a meaningful glance over at Kurt and Blaine. They got the message and smiled back. Artie also guessed what had happened and flashed Sam a thumbs-up. Rory turned and looked at Sam with those big, blue eyes of his. "Do we tell everyone?"

"Only if you want," Sam assured him. "Whatever you're comfortable with."

"You don't mind?"

"No," Sam said honestly. Rory swallowed hard and nodded. Sam knew what he wanted right away. "Hey," he addressed the group. "Rory and I have something to say."

"Oh?" Mr. Schuester raised his eyebrows. "Okay. Go ahead."

Sam grabbed Rory's hand and felt Rory jump at the sudden gesture. He squeezed it for reassurance. "Um, Rory and I are now, um, dating."

Silence. Dead silence. "Well, I think it's wonderful," Kurt was the first to speak up.

"Yeah," Blaine added. "That's great, guys!"

"You're my best friend, Sam. If you're happy, I'm happy," Artie concluded.

Puck grinned wickedly. No doubt he was thinking of the first time he ever talked to the blonde. "No, Puck," Sam rolled his eyes. "I haven't had any balls in my mouth."

"You will soon," Puck grinned even wider. Rory turned an interesting shade of red.

"Well, this was unexpected," Mr. Schuester looked surprised. "But, uh, you both have all of our support, just like we support Brittany and Santana, and Kurt and Blaine."

"Thanks," Rory muttered. He didn't so much like being in the spotlight. All he wanted was to sit down again and escape their critical eyes. He let go of Sam's hand and picked a seat in the back row, away from everyone else. He sidled close to Kurt, craving his support and approval. Kurt smiled warmly at the younger boy and patted his knee. It relaxed Rory and made him feel a little better, knowing he had two people firmly on his side.

"Hey, you okay?" Sam looked concerned.

Rory swallowed. "Yes. I just…I felt them all judging me…"

"They're not," Sam whispered back. "They're just surprised, that's all."

"I hope you're right…"

Three days later, Rory arrived at school to find balloons taped to his locker. Curiously, he opened only to have a shower of confetti spill out all over him. "What the…" Someone tapped him on the shoulder, and he spun around. "Sammy!"

"Happy birthday," Sam smiled goofily.

"But how did…I never told…"

Sam shrugged. "I have my sources. So how does it feel to be sixteen?"

"Brilliant," Rory gave Sam his brilliant smile. "I didn't think anyone would really remember, or care, but you…you're amazing, Sammy."

Sam blushed. "Well, I try," he shuffled his feet. "You'll get your real present later, when I take you out to dinner.

Rory's face lit up. "You're taking me to dinner?"

"Yep," Sam nodded. "It's your special day, after all."

Rory flung his arms around Sam's neck. "Oh, thank you!"

"You're welcome," Sam wrapped his arms around Rory's back. "Anything for you."

"Happy birthday, Rory," Kurt and Blaine said in unison as they strolled by, hand-in-hand.

Rory grinned. "Thanks!"

"I wrote you a poem, Leprechaun," Santana sauntered up to them. She cleared her throat and pulled out a piece of paper. "Roses are red, violets are blue. Happy freaking birthday, I no longer loathe you."

"Wait," Sam did a double-take. "Did Santana almost say something…nice?"

She rolled her eyes. "I said I no longer loathe you. I didn't say I like you or anything."

"It's the thought that counts," Rory shrugged. "Thank you, Santana."

"Whatever," she walked away.

"Why does she…?"

"Long story," Rory waved Sam's question away. "It's not like she wrote you a nice poem when you came back. As I recall, it was quite catty."

"I didn't doubt that, considering our history," Sam admitted.

Rory didn't want to think about the fact that his boyfriend wasn't a virgin. "So where are you taking me tonight?"

"You'll see," Sam winked. He sweetly kissed Rory's forehead and left the blue-eyed boy standing there, dazed and coated in glitter, wondering how he was so lucky to have someone as incredible as Sam Evans in his life. All day, Sam kept going out of his way to make sure that Rory had the best sweet-sixteen ever. A cupcake at lunch, a folded note with a heart on it passed to him between classes, a flip of his blonde hair and a smile that made Rory weak in the knees…he couldn't have asked for more. Everything was perfect, right down to the flavor of the cupcake—vanilla bean, Rory's favorite.

Sam picked him up right at 5:30 that night for their surprise dinner. "Where are we going?" Rory asked for the hundredth time.

"Shh, somewhere nice. You look…you look…amazing," Sam breathed when he got full sight of Rory. He was wearing the sweater Sam had given him for Christmas with nice black pants. "Your eyes look more beautiful than ever."

"Oh," Rory blushed. "You look very nice, too."

"Kurt helped me," Sam looked a little embarrassed.

"I'll thank him later," Rory giggled, pecking Sam on the lips. Sam turned up the volume on the Michael Bublé CD—Rory's favorite—and Rory smiled. They drove about an hour out of Lima, and by this point, Rory was deliriously curious. Sam pulled up to a small, quaint Italian restaurant that couldn't have had more than twenty or thirty tables. They were shown to a table in the back, and Sam immediately took Rory's hand.

"This is so nice, Sam," Rory looked around in amazement. "Have you been here?"

"Once," Sam said. "The penne alfredo is really, really good."

"I shall take your word for it," Rory nodded. "I believe I will have that."

"The best part, though," Sam grinned as the waiter approached. "Are the warm rolls."

Rory quirked a brow that vaguely reminded Sam of Kurt. "It's a weakness, okay?"

Rory chuckled. "They do look good…" he reached for one, put a little butter in the middle, and bit into it. "Oh my God. This is amazing!" He chewed it happily. He ended up ordering the penne, per Sam's recommendation, and Sam ordered a bowl of spaghetti. They chatted, Sam never letting go of Rory's hand for one moment, until their food arrived and he had to let go. "You were right," Rory said as he dug into his large plate of pasta. "This is incredible!"

"Hey, have you ever seen _Lady and the Tramp_?" Sam asked suddenly.

"Yes, once or twice," Rory tried to recall it.

"Are you thinking…what I'm thinking?"

Rory's eyes gleamed. "Yes, absolutely." Sam fished out a long noodle and gave one end to Rory, putting the other end in his mouth. Rory, giggling, moved along with Sam until they had both reached the middle of the noodle and were kissing over the middle of the table. He blushed on contact and ducked his head as Sam slurped the noodle up. "Does this make me Lady?" Rory whispered.

"I don't know," Sam shrugged. "But I do know that I have your present, right here." He took out a flat package that Rory knew to be a book and handed it over.

"May I?" Sam nodded. Rory unwrapped it, grinning massively when he saw what it was. "_The Fault in Our Stars_!" He cried excitedly.

"Check the inside cover," Sam told him. Rory curiously did so.

"Oh my God, it's signed by John Green!"

"Limited edition," Sam said proudly. "I can't wait for you to read it to me."

"We can start tonight," Rory murmured, flipping through the pages. "Oh, Sammy, this is the best birthday ever!"

"It's about to get better," Sam smiled knowingly, looking at something behind Rory. A waiter appeared with a large slice of cake with a lit candle in it. A team of waiters began to sing "Happy Birthday" to Rory, and Sam joined in, singing the loudest of all. Rory turned a fun shade of scarlet. "The best for the best," Sam looked at him lovingly.

"This looks amazing," Rory murmured. "Cheesecake?"

"Of course," Sam said simply. "Classic Italian dessert."

"Here," Rory handed Sam his extra fork. "Share it with me. I will not take 'no' for an answer, darling."

Sam's heart soared; this was the first time Rory had used a pet name for him. It made him feel amazing, warm and fuzzy inside. The night was over much too fast, and he was dropping Rory off at Brittany's house much too soon. "This was the best night I've had in America so far," Rory said, wrapping his arms around Sam's neck.

"I'm glad," Sam stroked Rory's hair. He leaned down and kissed Rory, long and lingering and with just the slightest hint of tongue. Rory moaned a little at the contact, allowing Sam to slip his tongue into his mouth. He didn't want the night, this birthday, this amazing feeling to end. He breathlessly ran into the house, just in time for curfew, and went upstairs to his room, where Brittany knocked on the door not two minutes later.

"How'd it go with Sammy?"

"Amazing," Rory's face was red from the cold, but his eyes were still alight.

"I'm so happy for you, Rory-Leprechaun. I know you were sad 'cause you miss your family, but now you have Sammy, and he'll be the best boyfriend ever."

"I don't doubt it," Rory laughed.

Brittany hugged Rory tightly. "Love you, Rory-Leprechaun."

"Love you, too, Britt." Rory snuggled under the covers and fell asleep with a large smile on his face.

**To be continued...**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee, Losing My Religion, or I'm Yours.  
**

**Note: Um, well, this is the first chapter where the M-rating really comes into effect. Some mild Sam/Rory sexytime at the end, just a little warning.  
**

_That's me in the corner  
That's me in the spotlight  
Losing my religion  
Trying to keep up with you  
And I don't know if I can do it_

Rory had been looking forward to a long weekend with Sam, but when he checked his phone, he found a text saying, "Went home for the weekend to talk to Mom and Dad about us. Hope you understand. I'll call you tonight to tell you how it went. xo Sam". Rory smiled; he did indeed understand that it was important for Sam to tell his parents about them, seeing as how they were coming up on three weeks, and soon it would be a month. He doubted that Mr. and Mrs. Evans would disown Sam; he saw clearly from his week there that they loved their son very much. He sent Sam a text back wishing him luck and then made plans with Artie for the day to try to get to know him better.

Meanwhile, Sam was driving to Kentucky. He was nervous about telling his parents about his relationship with Rory. To his knowledge, they only knew that he and Rory were close friends. He didn't know how they were going to react to this at all. He knew they wouldn't kick him out or disown him, but he wasn't sure they'd totally be cool with it, either. He drummed his fingers on the dashboard, hoping the miles would pass by quickly. His hands were shaking by the time he pulled into his driveway, and the twins of course pounced on him the second he walked in the door, although he hadn't even been away for a month. "Sammy!"

"Hey, squirts," he hugged them. "Where's Mom?"

"Right here," she emerged from the kitchen. "So glad you're home."

"Ma, I barely left," he joked. "Hey, is Dad home?"

"Sure, he's in the study." She looked worried. "Is everything okay?"

"I just need to talk to you guys about something," Sam avoided her concerned gaze.

"Of course, dear." She turned to her two youngest. "Why don't the two of you clean your rooms like you were supposed to?"

"But Sammy's home," Stevie pouted.

"_Now_," she said in that motherly I-mean-it way. They scattered. "We can talk in your father's study, if you want. They won't try to listen in."

"Yeah, sure, cool," Sam tried to remain calm. He followed her down the hall and gestured for her to sit down on the loveseat. "H…hey, Dad."

"Nice to have you home for the weekend," he smiled. He put the papers he'd been reading intently down. "What did you want to talk to us about?"

Sam inhaled deeply. "Well, uh, you know how Rory and I are close friends?"

His mother looked confused. "Of course, dear."

"Well, we're really close. I mean like, _really_ close. Really, _really_ close."

"I'm afraid I don't understand, Sam."

"I…I…Rory…we're…dating," Sam choked out. "Okay?"

His father's brow creased. "You're in a relationship with another boy?"

"What happened to Mercedes? She was nice," his mother added.

"She broke up with me when I found out we were moving here," Sam explained, "and when I went back, she already had a new boyfriend. But Rory…I knew I liked him as more than friends from the moment I saw him. I've never felt this way about _anyone_."

"Well," his mother said hesitantly. "If that's how you feel, I certainly can't stop you. I still love you, Sam, and you'll always be my baby boy."

His father sighed heavily. "I can't say I'm one-hundred percent for this, Sam. But like your mother said, I can't stop you from feeling what you feel."

"Rory is a very nice boy," his mother admitted. "Very polite and charming. I have no doubts that he'll be nothing but a perfect gentleman to you."

"That goes double for you," Mr. Evans warned. "He's younger than you, and I can tell that he is a sensitive boy. You will treat him well, do you hear me?"

Sam let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Yes, sir. Absolutely."

He dialed Rory's number as soon as he was able to escape to his own room. "Hey, it's me. They're okay with it. Dad's not totally on board but he'll deal."

"Fantastic," Sam could practically hear Rory's smile through the phone. "Well, give the twins my love and hurry back to me, Sammy."

"I will, don't worry. What are you up to today?"

"Artie and I are having a _Back to the Future_ movie marathon. Finn just watched the second movie with us. I believe he and Rachel have a date tonight."

"Cool," Sam said. "I just wanted to let you know how it went."

"Thanks, Sam. I miss you already."

"Miss you, too. Sweet dreams tonight."

"You, too, Sammy."

Sam hung up and flopped backwards onto his bed. He knew he had three weeks to plan the most amazing Valentine's Day present ever for the most amazing boyfriend ever, and he had no idea where to begin.

_Valentine's Day_

"Close your eyes," Sam whispered in Rory's ear.

"Okay. They're closed. Now what?"

Sam reached around and held something out in front of him. "Hold out your hand."

Rory did so, fumbling around until he'd grabbed the mystery item. Knowing what it was instantly, he opened his eyes. Sam had placed a beautiful bouquet of red and yellow roses in his hands. Rory spun around, eyes alight. "Sam," he breathed. "They're gorgeous."

"Only the most beautiful flowers for the most beautiful boy."

Rory, who had been sniffing his flowers appreciatively, immediately looked up. "What?"

"You're beautiful," Sam stroked Rory's cheek with the pad of his thumb.

"No I'm not," Rory mumbled. "You're just saying that."

"It's true," Sam tilted his chin. "Just look at yourself, Rory. You take my breath away."

"And you surely have stolen mine," Rory murmured, staring into Sam's eyes before leaning in for the first kiss of the day.

"How about," Sam put his arm around Rory's shoulder. "After we go to Sugar's party, we go back to the Hummel-Hudson house—Kurt's staying over at Blaine's and Finn at Rachel's—and we have a little party of our own?" He said suggestively.

"I certainly would not object," Rory smirked. He liked kissing Sam, a lot. And he liked Sam's abdominals, a _lot_. He wasn't going to say no to some making out on one of the most romantic days of the year with his hot, blonde boyfriend.

Sam made sure he dressed nicely for Sugar's party and, as usual, Rory took his breath away. He loved when Rory wore blue to bring out the color of his ocean eyes.

"Stay right here," Sam told Rory as they got there and found a table. "I have another gift for you."

"You mean besides the flowers, chocolates, and teddy bear?" Rory joked.

Sam laughed. "Yes, besides all of those things. Just sit tight, okay?" He went to go talk to the new kid, Joe. Rory could see Joe nodding and grabbing his guitar. "Hey, everyone," Sam got in front of the microphone. "Happy Valentine's Day! So we're gonna sing a few songs tonight for you guys. This first one is for my boyfriend, Rory." Rory blushed deeply, a nice shade of crimson. Kurt turned and smiled kindly at him; he knew what it was like to have a boyfriend serenade you in public, as Blaine did it all the time. Joe strummed his guitar while Sam picked up the hand-held mic and made his way over to where Rory was sitting. "Well you've done done me and you bet I felt it, I tried to be chill but you're so hot that I melted. I fell right through the cracks, and now I'm trying to get back. Before the cool done run out, I'll be giving it my bestest. Nothing's going to stop me but divine intervention. I reckon it's again my turn to win some or learn some. I won't hesitate no more, no more. It cannot wait, I'm yours."

Rory turned an even darker shade of red. He knew the song well, seeing how Sam almost never stopped playing it in the car. _He loves you_, he could see Quinn mouth to him. Rory tuned himself back to what Sam was singing.

"There's no need to complicate, our time is short. This is our fate, I'm yours." Sam gave Rory a loving look, and instantly Rory felt a pang of guilt, knowing that this was true, that he didn't have much time at all with Sam. He understood that he just had to let go and let things be. He could see now that this was his true fate. Whether he liked it or not. He swallowed hard and listened to Sam's clear, passionate voice, tears filling in his eyes. He couldn't believe that Sam was this amazing, that a love like this could be real. He clapped and cheered the loudest of anyone in the room when Sam had finished singing. Sam kissed him full on the mouth in front of the entire crowd, completely unashamed.

They drove back to the Hummel-Hudson home holding hands over the gear-shift. "Thank you," Rory murmured. "For singing me that song. You are an amazing singer, Sam."

"Aww, it was nothing," Sam waved his hand. "I've been wanting to do that since I met you, actually. From the very first time I saw you in the choir room."

Rory squeezed Sam's hand. "I'm glad you did. It made me feel…incredible."

"But you _are_ incredible," Sam glanced over at Rory, wanting so badly to look over at him but not about to take his eyes off the road. "I shouldn't have to sing a song to make you feel that way."

"I just…I don't want this feeling to go away, Sam."

"Neither do I." Sam pulled into the driveway, went around to open Rory's door, and led him upstairs to his bedroom, thankful they had the house to themselves.

"I have something to tell you," Rory said, closing his eyes briefly.

"Me first," Sam stopped him. He walked over to where Rory was standing. He looked straight into Rory's eyes. "I love you."

Rory's stomach dropped. He wanted to hear those words so badly, but he was dreading it all the same. Sam saying these three small words to him made it all the more difficult to leave at the end of the summer. "Sammy…"

"I just had to say it," Sam bounced nervously on his toes. "So…what did you have to tell me?" He looked hopeful, as if Rory would say it back to him.

Rory wanted to cry. He loved Sam so much, but he knew this couldn't last forever. He saw the look on Sam's face, and knew he couldn't say what he was originally going to, not now, anyway. "I love you, too," he whispered.

_Three weeks later_

"What's this?" Sam looked puzzled at the arrow that had been stuck to his locker. He looked in the direction it was pointing, and saw another arrow at the end of the hall, stuck to another locker. He followed a series of arrows until he reached the choir room, where Rory was standing, alone. "Well, what have we here?" Sam looked amused.

"Me," Rory spread out his arms wide. "Happy Birthday, Sam!"

Before Sam knew what had hit him, he was surrounded by all of his friends, and Kurt was handing off a cake to Rory—ice cream cake, Sam's all-time favorite.

"What?" Sam stumbled backwards, almost knocking into Sugar.

"Surprise," Rory shrugged and presented the cake to Sam. "I've had this planned for weeks. You were telling me how you always wanted a surprise party, so, here you go!"

Sam rubbed his eyes; surely, this was still a dream. It was then that he noticed that the choir room had been decorated with streamers and balloons. "All for me?"

"All for you," Rory grinned.

Sam grabbed Rory by the shoulders, mindful of the cake, and kissed him. "I love you so damn much."

"I love you, too," Rory said bashfully. "More than words can say." Rachel graciously ushered the cake to a table to cut and serve it. "I'm giving you your present later," he said in a low voice, only loud enough for Sam to hear. Sam grinned; this was gonna be one hell of a day.

"Follow me," Rory said quietly, taking Sam's hand and leading him upstairs in the Pierce's home.

"Where is everyone?"

"Brittany had a late Cheerios practice and her parents work late on Thursdays." He stood outside the guest bedroom. "Stay here. I'll be ready in a few moments."

"Okay." Sam was deliriously curious as to what Rory had in store for him. Meanwhile, Rory was standing in the middle of the room, hands shaking as he took his shirt off and folded it on the edge of the bed. He did the same with his pants, and debated whether or not he should remove his underpants as well. At the last second, he took them off. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door. Sam, who had been leaning against the wall next to the door, spun around. His eyes widened, and he immediately felt himself get hard.

"Rory," he sputtered. "It's _my_ birthday…why are _you_ in your birthday suit?"

"I wanted you to see me," Rory murmured. "As I truly am."

"You're…you're beautiful." Sam couldn't take his eyes off of his boyfriend.

"I think you're underdressed," Rory smirked.

"I think I am, too," Sam winked suggestively. He slipped into the room and closed the door tightly. "I want you to undress me," he whispered hotly in Rory's ear.

Rory gulped. He'd seen Sam shirtless a few times, and it was damn sexy. Now he was going to get to see the full package. "O…o…okay," he stuttered. He slipped his hand up Sam's shirt, feeling the heat of Sam's skin. He slowly unbuttoned it, staring at Sam's solid abdominals, running his fingers among them. His fingers then fluttered down towards Sam's jeans. He fumbled to get Sam's belt off. Sam watched the younger boy intently, never once taking his eyes off the brunette. Rory undid Sam's jeans and pulled them down, Sam helpfully stepping out of them, kicking them to the side. Rory's hands were again trembling as he moved towards the waistband of Sam's boxers. He dipped his hand beneath it, gasping as he touched Sam's member. Sam groaned at the contact.

"Please, Rory…please…"

Rory closed his eyes and quickly pulled Sam's underwear down. He counted to three and opened his eyes again, gasping. "Sammy…"

"I want to touch you, Rory. I don't want to go all the way—not yet—but I want to touch you, to pleasure you."

"But it's your birthday, not mine. Should I not be pleasuring you?"

"You're right, it is my birthday. But you matter to me more than anything, except my family, and I want to pleasure my boyfriend on my birthday."

Rory sure as hell wasn't going to complain or argue. If Sam wanted to please him sexually, he was certainly allowed to. "I…I…I…I want you, Sam." Sam kissed him gently. He inched his hand down, down, down and began to stroke Rory's length. Rory sucked in a breath; Sam was _touching_ him, and it felt _good_. "Yes…want more," Rory breathed.

"You'll get more," Sam mumbled against Rory's lips. He left a trail of kisses down Rory's neck and across his collarbone, causing the smaller boy to shudder with desire. Sam kissed down Rory's stomach and stopped just short of Rory's pubic bone. Rory held his breath; was Sam really about to do what he thought? Sam licked his lips and began stroking Rory again, who moaned. Sure, he had touched himself before, but it was nothing quite like this. He was fully hard now, and could see that Sam was semi-hard. Sam licked his lips again and took the head of Rory's cock in his mouth. Rory gasped aloud. Even in his most sexual dreams, he could never have imagined it to be this way. It was ten times better than he thought it would be. Sam took a little more of Rory into his mouth, sucking on the Irish boy's cock and running his tongue around it. Rory closed his eyes, moaning loudly, and he had to steady his hands on Sam's shoulders. "Ach, Sam…Sam…oh, God, so good, so good…ach, yes, that…yes…please…" Sam, for once, was glad he had larger-than-normal lips; they sure were coming in handy now. He enjoyed the weight and feel of Rory's cock against his tongue. He could tell Rory was getting close by the way the boy was panting and groaning, so he moved back a little and concentrated on sucking the head, stroking the rest of the boy's length. "Sam…I…I…I'm c…c…coming," Rory gripped the blonde's shoulders as he shot his load down Sam's throat. Sam drank it down; Rory tasted way better than he could've asked for. He pulled his lips off of Rory's cock and rocked back on his heels.

"Well? How was that?"

"Whoa," Rory's breathing was still ragged. "_Whoa_."

Sam blushed and looked down at his own very hard penis. "Um…"

"Let me," Rory whispered. He kneeled and took Sam in his hand, stroking it quickly. Sam closed his eyes and trust his hips forward, creating more friction. He knew he wouldn't last long, since he was so hard already and had been for a few minutes, and Rory's warm touch was too perfect to be real. "Oh my God, Rory…I'm…I'm gonna…" Rory grinned and stroked faster. Sam threw his head back and came into Rory's hand. Rory kept stroking, slower now, until Sam was done. He curiously sniffed his hand and licked Sam's come. It tasted strange, but okay, and he ended up licking it all off.

"I love you more than life itself," Sam murmured, grabbing Rory and kissing him.

"I love you as well," Rory breathed. "More than I should."

**To be continued…**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or Losing My Religion (or those few lines of What Makes You Beautiful).**

**Note: Boy-on-boy sex, just a little warning. Don't like, don't read.  
**

_Oh no, I've said too much  
I haven't said enough_

"It's nice, sitting on the roof like this," Rory leaned against Sam as he watched the sun setting, casting hues of pink and purple across the sky.

The older boy put an arm around Rory's shoulders. "It's nice just being here with you."

Rory blushed. "It is nice being _anywhere_ with you."

"Rory," Sam let go of him suddenly and turned his body so he could face the brunette better. "I've been meaning to ask you this for a couple weeks, and this seems like a really good moment." Rory's eyes widened; what could Sam possibly have to ask him? "Rory Flanagan," Sam took Rory's hands. "Will you go to Prom with me, as my date?"

Rory gasped. "Senior Prom? But…but neither of us is a senior!"

"We can go, because we're performing," Sam reminded him. "And, well, I know they don't really have Prom in other countries, so this is your opportunity to go to one. So, what do you say? Will you go with me?"

"Of…of course!" Rory said excitedly. "I'd love nothing more." He looked down shyly. "Did you go to Prom last year?" He asked.

"Yeah. I went with Rachel, Mercedes, and one of Rachel's ex-boyfriends. Which sounds totally awkward, but she and Finn weren't together at the time. Um, Mercedes and I kind of got together then," he admitted.

"Oh," Rory said awkwardly. "Do you ever miss it?"

"Miss what?"

"Being with her," Rory cast his eyes downwards and whispered.

Sam bit his lip. "I used to. When I first moved to Kentucky, I missed her like hell. But I'll tell you something, Rory: from the minute I first saw you, I knew I liked you. The first time I ever brushed your hand, I felt sparks. The first time I heard you speak, my heart started beating faster. And I've never felt that with anybody else before."

"My Pa says the same thing about my…my Mum," Rory caught himself in time. "Swears up and down that it was love at the first sight."

"Rory, how many languages do you speak again?" Sam asked.

"Gaelic and English," Rory replied automatically.

"That's funny. I swore I heard you speak to Kurt and Blaine in French."

Rory's face caught fire. "Oh yeah," he said softly. "I speak French, too."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Sam wasn't mad, just curious.

"French is so…lame compared to Gaelic. I mean, not lame, it's a beautiful language. But it is one of your typical high-school language classes, and I did not want anyone to think I was simple or boring. My parents spent a lot of time in France before I came around, and so they taught it to me when I was a child. Gaelic was a requirement in grammar school. English is nearly my third language. That is why I tend to speak precisely."

"I think," Sam said slowly, "that it's amazing, that you can speak three languages fluently. Not many people can claim to be able to do that. _You're_ amazing."

Rory shook his head. "I just have a knack for languages, that is all. I suppose I am just creative-brained, as opposed to logic-brained."

"As long as your brain loves me, I don't care what side you use more."

"It does, do not worry," Rory assured him. "My brain loves you very much."

"…that actually sounds weird," Sam said.

Rory had to laugh. "True!" Sam loved when Rory laughed, how he separated each syllable, actually pronouncing and saying each "ha ha ha". It was just one of the many things Sam found adorable about Rory. He didn't ever want this to end.

_Three weeks later—Prom_

"Samuel, _honestly_." Kurt clucked his tongue and circled the blonde.

"What?" Sam complained. "I think I look fine."

"Can't you do anything about your hair? Cut it or something?"

"No," Sam said stubbornly. "I like my hair this way, and so does Rory."

Kurt sighed heavily. "Fine. But—oh, really? _That_ corsage for Rory? No, no, no. That simply will not do. You want to bring out his eyes, and this completely clashes."

Sam gritted his teeth. Kurt was a great friend and all, but sometimes, he got a little too carried away with fashion and looking nice. "Then what does the great Kurt suggest?"

"Light green, or blue," Kurt said simply. "And I do not appreciate your sarcasm."

Sam groaned. "Why are you even concerned with what I do for my boyfriend?"

"Because," Kurt finally stopped circling. "I know what it's like to go to Prom with a boyfriend. All the stares, all the looks—are you ready for that? I mean," he lowered his voice, "you know what happened to me last year."

Sam remembered, of course he did. Kurt had been crowned Prom Queen as a cruel joke, and had been visibly shaken by it. He couldn't see the same thing happening this year. He shook his head. "That won't happen to me and Rory. Rory's strong, and if anyone tries to mess with him, I'll kick their ass." He checked to make sure they were alone, and they were; Kurt had been doing pre-Prom consultations with the boys all day, and Sam was the only other one still hanging around. "Rory and I…we're gonna do it tonight."

"Do it? Oh," Kurt's eyes widened. "Oh. Are you…are you ready?"

"Absolutely," Sam said, although he wasn't entirely sure if Rory was one-hundred percent ready. "I just…you and Blaine…any tips?" He mumbled.

"Well, uh," Kurt stammered. "That depends on who will be giving and who is receiving."

"I'm giving, he'll be receiving," Sam confirmed. "I really…I don't want to hurt him. That's what I'm scared of the most, hurting him."

"Take it slow," Kurt advised. "Foreplay is good…maybe take a nice bath together, to get him relaxed. You'll want to make sure he's relaxed. It can't just be an emotional preparation, but a physical one as well. Can I ask you a personal question?"

Sam gulped. "Uh, yeah, sure."

"How far have you two gone?"

Sam was relieved; he was sure Kurt was going to ask him about Santana. "We've seen each other naked," he admitted. "I went down on him and he jerked me off."

"Okay," Kurt closed his eyes. "Lube," he said. "You'll want it. And condoms, can't forget those. I know Rory's a virgin and all, but better safe than sorry. Blaine and I were both virgins, and we used condoms. Talk to him throughout, kiss him and make sure he's comfortable. Don't make him do anything he doesn't want to do."

"I would never do that," Sam murmured. "I love him more than anything."

Kurt softened. "I know. He loves you, too. I see it in his eyes."

"Kurt, I…thanks," Sam muttered. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Probably make a fool of yourself," Kurt said honestly. "And besides, who else would provide you with the lemon juice that gives you your Ken-doll hair color?"

Sam smacked him playfully. "Kurt!"

Kurt scoffed, upset that Sam had touched his outfit like that, but then smiled softly. "I will admit, I like you with Rory better than I liked you with Quinn or Santana. You're…cute together."

"What are you and Blaine gonna do about college?"

Kurt's eyes grew distant. "Let's focus on the now," he said wisely, "and not the then."

Meanwhile, Rory was chatting nervously with Blaine. "I…I'm so scared."

Blaine frowned. "Why? What's wrong?"

Rory swallowed, hard. "I'm giving my virginity to Sam tonight."

"Wow," Blaine looked surprised. "Aren't you…okay, that's silly. I keep forgetting that you're sixteen now. I shouldn't be the one to tell you that you're too young. Well, why are you scared? Are you afraid it's gonna hurt? Is he gonna top?"

"Yes, and yes," Rory whispered. "I…I don't want it to hurt, but I know it is. And I've never been…I've only…he…he performed oral sex on me, and I gave him a hand-job," he confessed to the ex-Warbler. "But we've…I just…you and Kurt…"

"Hey," Blaine looked worried. "You're really pale, Rory. Are you sure you're ready to do this? You don't have to, you know. I don't mean physically ready, but emotionally ready. Are you? I don't want you to get emotionally hurt like some guys do when they have sex for the first time. I mean, Sam's a great guy and all, but you've barely been dating for three months. Are you sure it's time to go all the way?"

"How…how long were you and Kurt dating when you first did it?"

"Eight months," Blaine said. "But we'd been friends for almost a year. I don't regret it, I really don't, but maybe we were too young. I don't know what I'm saying. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm not sure that you should do this, Rory."

"I…I'd be on bottom," Rory went on to say. "I've never…you know. Tried to touch myself _there_. And Sam…" Rory blushed fiercely. "He's big."

Blaine quirked a brow. "Oh? Well then. Um, lube helps…I'm not really one to talk, though, because I usually top. I think Kurt's only topped once. But, uh, yeah, definitely lube will be good. Just remember to breathe, okay? Breathing helps. In through the nose, out through the mouth. And tell him if he's doing too much. Communication is key, Rory. Don't do anything you don't want to. Take it easy. If you really love Sam, and he really loves you, this will be a very special experience, for both of you. I'm just worried, though…what will happen when you go back to…to Ireland?"

Rory's eyes grew distant. "Let's focus on the now," he said wisely, "and not the then."

Sam met Rory out in the hallway. He immediately sucked his breath in; Rory looked incredible…and also look he was going to jump out of his skin. "Hey," Sam said gently.

"Hi," Rory whispered.

"You look amazing," Sam stroked Rory's cheek. "I…I have this for you," he presented his boyfriend with the corsage that Kurt had fretted over so much.

"Oh," Rory smiled softly. "It's beautiful, Sam. Thank you." Sam proudly pinned it onto Rory's tux. "Look, Sam, there's something you should know…"

Sam put a finger to Rory's soft lips. "Later," he said. "I don't want to ruin things."

"Okay," Rory murmured, although he didn't know how much longer he could keep this secret from Sam. "Sam, just know that no matter what happens, I love you."

Sam looked at him strangely. Why was Rory acting this way? "I love you, too." Kurt made them pose for about a hundred pictures, fretting over this and that. Sam made a mental note to e-mail the pictures to his parents later; they'd love to see this. He took Rory to Breadstix for a pre-Prom dinner, but Rory barely picked at his meal. Sam worried even more; was Rory just as nervous about what was going to happen after Prom as he was? Was he having second thoughts? Was he just not hungry? "Hey, you okay?"

"Not very hungry," Rory mumbled, pushing his food around his plate. Sam worried even more; he didn't want Rory passing out at Prom or…well, during sex. He set his fork down; suddenly, he wasn't very hungry anymore either. Sam listlessly paid the check and escorted his boyfriend to Prom. "Be right back, restroom," Rory muttered. He'd barely made it into the stall before he vomited what little food he had eaten.

"Oh my God, are you okay?"

Rory stood up shakily. He wiped his mouth with toilet paper and flushed before exiting the stall and staggering over to the sink. "Hullo, Blaine."

"Rory," Blaine was taken aback at how utterly pale the younger boy was. "Hey, what's going on?"

"I'm just so nervous about later," Rory said. "What if I'm not good enough for him?"

"Rory," Blaine put a hand on Rory's shoulder. "You don't have to do this."

The Irish boy gave him a meaningful look. "You know why I have to, Blaine."

"Does he even know?"

"No," Rory confessed. "Every time I try to tell him, I either chicken out or he says we'll talk about it later, and we never do. I just know it would break his heart." He stared at his own reflection in the mirror. "And I cannot do that. It would hurt me more than him."

"But you have to at some point."

Rory gripped the countertop. "I know," he said through gritted teeth.

Sam burst through the door. "Are you okay, Rory? You just took off like that…"

"He's fine," Blaine piped up. "Just needed a little bro talk, you know?"

"Oh. Cool," Sam shrugged. "Well, come on, Rory. We need to go over the routine real quick with Artie, Mike, and Joe." Rory wordlessly followed. Blaine watched them leave, concerned about the blue-eyed boy. This secret was tearing him up inside, and he didn't know how much longer the poor kid could go on until he just exploded.

It was easy for Rory to fake a smile, to just plaster a grin on his face and pretend like nothing was bothering him, like the end wasn't going to come soon, like he didn't have to go through with what he had to that night, at the end of the summer.

"Hanging in there?" Joe asked him, noticing that he was especially quiet.

"I don't want this year to end," Rory said softly.

"Oh yeah," Joe said. "Heard you weren't coming back. I'm gonna miss you."

"We all are," Mike spoke up. "But no one more than Sam."

"He'll be devastated," Rory whispered. "But I cannot stay, and that is that."

Artie frowned. "Are you sure you can't extend your student visa?"

"Positive," Rory nodded. "As much as I'd love to stay, it isn't a possibility."

"Well then, let's make this performance count," Joe smiled. "Come on guys, group hug!" Rory rolled his eyes, put let himself be pulled into the group. He gulped as they took the stage; would he trip and fall? Would he mess up the choreography? Forget the lyrics? Make a complete, utter fool of himself and get booed off the stage?

Sam couldn't take his eyes off of his boyfriend the entire time they were performing. There was something magical about the way he moved and sang, how he was able to captive the audience so well. He remembered how someone had told him that Rachel had said "He is magical" when Rory auditioned for New Directions, and he knew that if Rachel Berry could see that someone else besides herself was magical, then it must be.

"Baby, you light up my world like nobody else. The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed. But when you smile at the ground, it ain't hard to tell…" he looked directly into Rory's eyes, making sure he heard and understood every word and that he knew them to be true. He got a genuine smile in return, and it set him more at ease. The rest of the night went by in a blur; Finn and Rachel winning Prom King and Queen, Quinn taking her first steps since her accident…before he knew it, he was driving to the hotel with Rory. Rory timidly clung back while Sam checked them in. He tried to remember everything Blaine had told him, but he was still terrified of having sex for the first time. He had no doubts that Sam would be gentle and loving, as he always was, but he was petrified of the aftermath, of the emotional connectivity that would surely follow. He silently followed Sam into the elevator, upstairs to their room. He didn't know if people were staring at them. At _him_. If they were putting two and two together and judging them in their minds. If they approved or not. After all, Rory was committing two modern-day sins here: teenage sex and gay sex. Teenage gay sex; the ultimate Catholic sin. He shivered, and Sam instinctively moved closer to him, to protect him, to keep him safe and warm. Rory gave him a weak smile in return. Sam opened the door for them and Rory sat on the edge of the bed awkwardly, still trembling. Sam, thinking his poor boyfriend was cold, headed into the bathroom and started running the water in the tub.

"What…what are you doing?" Rory managed to ask.

"I was thinking maybe we could take a nice warm bath together before we…you know."

Rory blushed fiercely. "Okay," he murmured. He quietly got undressed, watching Sam pour some bubble bath into the water and get undressed himself. Sam turned off the water and slipped into the tub.

"Come here," he called softly. Rory gathered himself and did. Sam reached for his hand, and Rory steadied himself as he climbed in. The warm water instantly soothed him and made him relax a little. He settled back against Sam's chest, the blonde wrapping his arms tightly around the brunette. He gently rubbed Rory's stomach, something that Rory's parents had done when he was having trouble sleeping as a child, and something that just instantly put him at ease. "What did you wanna tell me before?"

Rory froze. "It can wait," he murmured. "It was something silly anyway."

Sam wasn't sure if he believed this. "Are you sure? You know you can tell me anything."

Rory closed his eyes, listening to Sam's heartbeat. It seemed to be beating his name. He just wanted to stay here in this moment for all the rest of time. "Yes, I'm sure." He listened to Sam's heart beating away for several silent moments. Sam reached down for Rory's hand, intertwining their fingers together and holding on tightly.

"I don't want this night to end," he kissed Rory's fingers.

"I don't want _any_ of this to end," Rory murmured, his skin burning from Sam's kiss. He barely registered the hot tears streaking down his cheeks until Sam said something.

"Baby…you're crying."

"I just…I love you so much," Rory couldn't bear to look at Sam. "And to think, I'll be an entire ocean away from you. I…can we…can our love…stay that distance?"

"Yes, absolutely," Sam said without a second thought. "Even if I have to follow you there. Rory, I'd wait for you. I'd wait until we can be together again."

Rory choked back a sob. "I would love nothing more."

When the water got cool, Sam got up and started draining the tub. He tied a towel around his waist and helped Rory up, trying a towel around the shivering-again boy. "Let me carry you," he said in a low voice. Rory nodded, letting Sam scoop him up into his arms and carry him, bridal-style, to the queen-sized bed. Sam laid Rory down and climbed on top of him, stroking his damp hair and kissing him slowly. Rory just wanted to burst into tears, to just break down and tell Sam everything, but he couldn't bring himself to. Sam loved him so much and was the perfect boyfriend and Rory knew it wasn't meant to last.

He lifted his arms around Sam's neck and kissed him back, allowing Sam to love him and kiss him and to roll his hips down against his own. "Please, Rory," Sam stared into his ocean-blue eyes. "Let me make love to you."

Rory searched Sam's darker eyes. He could trust Sam. He knew he could trust Sam, and he knew Sam would never intentionally hurt him. He had two choices, and he knew this. He could do this, to make love with Sam and give himself and his body over. Or he could back out and not do this and to keep his sanity somewhat in check.

He made his choice.

"Yes," he murmured. "I will let you make love to me."

Sam smiled. He kissed Rory tenderly. "I love you. I promise I won't hurt you."

Rory gulped. "I know. I love you, too." He let Sam undo his towel. He let Sam stroke him to get him aroused. He let Sam prepare his hole to fit his cock in. He felt detached, as if he was out of his own body, watching this all happen. He figured that if he did this, the emotional pain would not be there, that it would not linger behind him like a ghost that would not leave him alone. He clenched his jaw as Sam put the condom on and gently pushed into him. In that moment, in that brief flash of pain, he almost lost control and gave in to his feelings, but he managed to push through it and go back to the detachment, to some place above the Earth.

Sam noticed the distant look on Rory's face and paused. "Baby, are you okay? Am I hurting you? We can totally stop if I am."

Rory snapped out of it. "I am fine. It hurts a little, but not too bad. I just…I want to feel you in me, Sam. I want you to feel me in return. I just want you, Sam."

Sam bit his lip. He wasn't sure if it was truly what Rory wanted, or if Rory was just saying that to make him happy, but he kept pushing in, slow at first, but then slowly building up speed. He threw his head back and moaned, panting as he pushed in harder, bumping into Rory's prostate.

As much as Rory wanted to detach himself from what was happening, he couldn't deny the sexual pleasure he was now feeling as Sam's penis rammed into his most sensitive of places. He gasped, eyes snapping back, clarity overtaking him. "Sam!"

"Rory, oh God," Sam groaned.

"Yes…feels so good…" Rory moaned. "Oh, Sam…oh!" He couldn't believe one could ever feel this physically _good_, that sex could feel this _good_, that he could be on another cloud entirely, one up in the heavens…and this one, he didn't want to come down from. He bucked his hips against his will, spasming as he came hard, ropes of sticky fluids erupting from the head of his penis and coating his stomach.

Sam knew he wouldn't last much longer after that. He groaned and finally ejaculated in Rory's tight hole, both panting as they came down from their orgasmic highs. Sam pulled out slowly, still mindful about not hurting his boyfriend. He crawled up next to Rory and folded him into his strong arms. He kissed him. "That was amazing."

"The most incredible feeling in the world," Rory agreed. "I…oh, this sounds silly."

"No, tell me," Sam brushed Rory's hair back.

"I want to sleep in your arms tonight," Rory whispered, looking down shyly.

"That's not silly at all," Sam murmured into Rory's forehead. "I've always wanted to do that with you." He reached over to turn off the lamp, throwing the room into darkness.

"I love you," Rory breathed, resting his cheek against Sam's chest, hearing the now-familiar drumming of Sam's heart.

"I love you, too," Sam whispered, kissing Rory on the top of the head and holding him close, listening to Rory's slow, even breathing, watching his chest rise and fall. He wondered what Rory was dreaming. He didn't want to move, for fear of waking him. He just lay there and let sleep overtake him.

**To be continued…**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or Losing My Religion.  
**

**Note: Again, some sex ahead, but nothing too graphic.  
**

_I thought that I heard you laughing  
I thought that I heard you sing  
I think, I thought, I saw you try_

"I really don't think I can do this."

"Come on," Sam said. "You survived both your first Sectionals_ and_ your first Regionals. Heck, you survived Sectionals without Rachel! Trust me, you can handle this one."

"But it's Nationals," Rory pointed out. "I'll only get to go to one of these. What if I mess it up for everyone else? What if I trip and fall off-stage? What if…"

"Shh," Sam put his hands on Rory's hips, drawing him close. "You'll be perfect." Somewhere across the room, Santana fake-retched. Sam ignored her. "You're my angel, Rory. Even when you're gone, I'll still feel you here with me." Sam never would say it aloud, but he loved watching Rory sleep. He looked so pure and innocent, just like a little angel, all curled up, his cute nose twitching every so often. Once in a while, Rory would sigh in his sleep; whether in content or sadness, Sam didn't know, but he found it insanely adorable, and wished he could capture these moments forever.

Rory closed his eyes. "Kiss me," he murmured. Sam happily obliged, despite the fact that they were in full view of everyone.

"Get a room," Santana yelled at them.

"But it's kind of hot," Sugar admitted.

"Well, I guess it is a little hot," Santana rolled her eyes. "As long as Trouty Mouth over there doesn't try to swallow the poor Leprechaun."

"He already has," Rory grinned wickedly.

"Damn," Santana nodded in approval. "Auntie 'Tana likes this."

Sam turned bright red. "One time," he mumbled.

"As riveting as Sam and Rory's sex life is," Rachel said quickly, "we really should be heading into our final dress rehearsal. Nationals are _tomorrow morning_."

"I hate that we can't sleep in the same room," Rory sighed.

"Yeah, it sucks, but I can see why Mr. Schue doesn't want me and you or Kurt and Blaine in the same room together. Don't worry, I'll be with Artie. And you get to hang out with Joe."

"Who are Kurt and Blaine rooming with, then?"

"As far as I know," Sam said, "Blaine wanted to room with Mike and Kurt decided to stick with Rachel, since there's an odd number of boys and girls anyway. Look, even Brittany and Santana aren't in the same room together. Santana's with Quinn and Britt went with Sugar."

Rory's brow furrowed. "So I take it Mercedes is with Tina, then?"

"Yep. They've been best friends since the very start of New Directions."

"Oh." Rory frowned. "Do I still get a good-night kiss?"

"Is the sky blue?" Sam smiled, and pulled Rory in for a sweet, lingering kiss.

_Two days later_

"I can't believe we won!" Rory looked around the decorated choir room in awe. "It's still so, so surreal!"

"It does feel amazing," Sam snaked an arm around Rory's waist.

Rory leaned his head against Sam's shoulder. "I don't want this feeling to go away."

Sam craned his neck to look at the smaller boy. "Victory?"

"You and me," Rory clarified. "Us."

Sam instinctively held on tighter. "It won't," he promised, his voice wavering. "It won't."

"I'm so worried about them," Kurt whispered to Blaine.

"Them?" Blaine's eyes flashed even darker. "What about _us_?"

"You know what he said," Kurt said in a very hushed voice. "We don't have to worry about a single thing. They do. Sam doesn't even know yet. That worries me."

"Rory and I talked earlier. He's planning on telling him soon. Stop being such a worrywart, Kurt. That's my job."

"I can't help it," Kurt groaned. "I mean, he's-"

"I know, babe. Don't forget, he's-"

"I know, I know," Kurt grumbled. "How can I forget?"

Blaine smiled. "They can handle it, I'm positive. Sam's a really great guy. He'd never hurt a fly, let alone Rory."

"I hope so," Kurt muttered. "Because if he does, I'll kick his ass."

_That night_

"So how about we have our own post-Nationals celebration, now that we're home?"

Rory gulped, but nodded. "Okay."

"Come here," Sam said huskily, wrapping his arms around the shorter boy. He kissed Rory roughly on the neck, sucking on it for a moment.

"S…Sam," Rory gasped. "You're…you're going to leave a mark!"

"I want everyone to know that you're mine, and they can't steal you away from me."

"Everyone knows that," Rory closed his eyes in pleasure at Sam's kisses along his neck and collarbone. "No need to tell them what they already know."

"I want the world to know," Sam said hotly against Rory's pale skin. "That you're mine."

"Oh, Sam," Rory was getting a little teary-eyed again.

"Wait," Sam pulled away suddenly. "I have something for you."

"But my birthday was in January," Rory said, "and it's not Christmas."

"Doesn't have to be a special day to get my boyfriend a present," Sam winked. He fished for something in his jeans pocket. "Close your eyes first." Rory did. "Now hold out your hand." Rory, confused, did. Sam slid something onto Rory's finger, and the Irish boy's stomach dropped to his feet. His heart pounded faster; no, this wasn't happening…

His eyes burst open. "Sam," he breathed. "What…this isn't…"

"It's a promise ring," Sam said quickly. "Look, I told you I'd wait for you forever. I wasn't just talking about waiting for you to say you'd be my boyfriend. I was also talking about you being away and me waiting to see you again."

"Sam, I…"

"Don't worry about the cost," Sam rushed on. "And look, it fits perfectly. Just…promise me you'll wait for me, too."

"Sam…"

"Promise me," Sam begged.

A tear streaked down Rory's face. Not out of happiness, but out of pure sadness. "I do."

Sam slipped a hand up Rory's shirt. "I want to undress you." He reached up and gently tugged at Rory's nipples.

"P…please, Sam. U…undress me," Rory softly begged. "I…I want nothing more."

Sam unbuttoned Rory's plaid shirt, exposing his soft, pale skin. "I don't think I've ever seen anyone as beautiful as you. You take my breath away every time I see you."

Rory ducked his head, embarrassed. "No. Impossible."

Sam furrowed his brow. "Why is that impossible?"

"Because you take _my_ breath away," Rory explained, "and there's no point in both of us being breathless."

Sam chuckled. "Doesn't change the fact that you're beautiful. I wouldn't mind being breathless over you. If I need to use an inhaler when you're in the room, so be it."

Rory blushed all the way down to the waistband of his jeans. Staring into Sam's dark eyes, he let the blonde unbutton his pants and pull them down, leaving the brunette in his boxers. Rory stepped out of his jeans and kicked them aside. "Now, sit back." Rory went and sat on the bed. Sam slowly, tantalizingly unbuttoned his own shirt, one button at a time, exposing a small space of chiseled stomach with each move. Rory's eyes grew wider; no matter how many times he saw his boyfriend shirtless, it always astounded him at how built Sam was. He had heard a rumor that Sam had been a stripper to earn more money for his siblings, but he wasn't sure if it was true, and didn't have the heart to ask Sam. He feared that if it was the truth, it would just make things very awkward between the two. A small voice in the back of his head said that it _had_ to be true, for how else would Sam be so good at teasing him like this? He wanted to touch Sam, to kiss Sam, to have Sam touch and kiss him back. He wanted Sam to hold him, to hear his heartbeat again, to fall asleep in Sam's strong and loving arms. He couldn't take his eyes off the blonde as Sam inched his own jeans off and down to the floor. Rory lay back on the bed as Sam climbed on top of him, kissing him heatedly.

"Oh, Sam," Rory groaned. "Sam…"

"My lips aren't too big, are they?" Sam sucked them in self-consciously.

"I've told you a thousand times; they're perfect," Rory reminded him.

"And I've told _you_ a thousand times; _you're_ perfect."

Making love to Sam the second time was even better for Rory than it was the first time. He was slowly learning to let go of his inhibitions and give himself over, to not think about their inevitable split at the end of the summer. He could already feel Sam's erection straining against the fabric of his boxer briefs. Sam relieved himself of the cumbersome material and reached down to pull Rory's own underwear away from his body. He reached for a condom and the bottle of lubricant that was left over from Prom.

"I don't think I've ever wanted something more than I want this."

"Me, neither," Sam rolled the condom on. "Every day I give thanks to God for pointing me towards you."

Rory closed his eyes; did he believe in God? One of his parents was religious, and the other wasn't, so he was pretty much left to decide what he believed. On one hand, he wanted to believe that someone had guided him and Sam towards each other, someone much more powerful than he. On the other hand, if there was a God, how could He be so cruel as to give Rory these gifts that destroyed him inside? Still, his heart and his body wanted Sam so badly that he thought he would spontaneously combust if he didn't get it. He flinched in pain as Sam inserted a finger, then two, into his tight hole to try and prepare him adequately.

"Shh, baby," Sam whispered comfortingly. "I won't hurt you. I won't hurt you."

Rory whimpered, half in pain and half in desire. "No…I know you won't…please…S…Sam…I w…want you in m…me."

Sam didn't think he could become harder than he already was, but he did. Once he was sure Rory could take his fingers comfortably, he lined himself up and pushed in slowly. Rory hissed in the flash of pain. Sam reached up and stroked his cheek, murmuring sweet words to him to get him to relax. "Look at my face. Look into my eyes." Rory managed to do so. "There. Better?" Rory nodded, little by little getting used to the feeling of Sam being in him again. Sam, with Rory's silent consent, began to move. Rory locked his arms around Sam's back, occasionally digging his nails into the flesh as Sam moved a little deeper or harder, but he never cried out in pain. Sam knew he wouldn't last too much longer, but he wanted Rory to get pleasure out of this too. He moved a little to the right and hit Rory's prostate. The brunette moaned deliciously.

"Yes, Sammy…yes, that's it…right there…oh, don't stop!" Sam, fueled by Rory's mews and cries of sexual pleasure, kept pushing on the sensitive spot, desperately wanting to make his boyfriend come. It only took a few minutes of repeatedly pressing against Rory's prostate with his member to send the smaller boy over the edge. "S…S…Sammy! I'm…c…c…coming!" Rory gasped as he came, hard. Sam gritted his teeth, feeling the familiar tug somewhere behind his stomach that signaled an imminent orgasm. A couple of quick thrusts, and he was coming into Rory, the latter breathing heavily. Sam pulled out and quickly kissed Rory, the pair breathless. Sam got up, disposed of the used condom, and went back on the bed to spoon with his boyfriend.

"Rory," he whispered. "What does your name mean?"

"It's kind of embarrassing," the blue-eyed boy blushed.

"No, tell me," Sam insisted. "Samuel means 'is name is God' in Hebrew."

"Really?" Sam nodded. "Rory…it's Gaelic for 'red king'," Rory admitted.

"Red king," Sam said slowly, letting it roll around on his tongue. "I like it." He nuzzled Rory's nose with his own. "Maybe that means we were meant to be."

Rory felt his heart skip several beats. His stomach shimmied and he knew another attack was coming on. He started feeling sick, head pounding, hands beginning to shake. He leapt out of bed immediately, trying to make a break for the bathroom but only making it halfway across the bedroom before collapsing to the floor. "Rory!" Sam yelled as the small boy began convulsing. He was by his side in the blink of an eye, watching wide-eyed, unsure if he should call 911. "Rory, can you hear me?" Rory's eyes rolled into the back of his head, and Sam, trembling from head to toe, made a mad dash for the phone. "Hello? My boyfriend…I think he's having a seizure or something! Please, send help!" He stood, panic-stricken, to the side of the room. It hit him that they were both butt-naked, and he wondered if he should try to cover Rory up or not. He barely managed to get his own pants and underpants on before the paramedics arrived.

"Are you family?" One of the medics asked.

Sam almost couldn't find the words to speak. "His boyfriend," he choked out.

"And why is he naked?"

"That's none of your business," Sam spat, suddenly angry. He knew, just knew, that they would try to accuse him of rape. "We had sex, okay? We were cuddling, he started having this attack. Swear to God everything we did today was consensual."

The medic eyed him carefully. "All right. We'll believe you for now, son."

"I just want to know what's wrong with him!" Sam all but yelled.

"We're gonna find out, I promise," he said as the other medics attended to Rory. "Where are his parents?"

"He's an exchange student," Sam explained quickly, "his parents are in Ireland."

"Fine, you can come in the ambulance with us. We'll make some calls when we figure out what's going on with, err…"

"Rory," Sam whispered. "His name is Rory. Rory Flanagan."

"Right, yes," the other medics were hurrying Rory downstairs and to the ambulance. Sam grabbed a shirt and put it on as he ran downstairs.

Kurt tore up the front walk. "Oh my God, what's going on?"

"Rory…he's had a seizure or something," Sam said as he ran alongside the medics.

Kurt paled. "Oh, God. Look, I'll call the Pierces, you go with him."

"I'll call you later!" Sam called as he climbed into the ambulance and they sped away.

He wasn't allowed into the room with Rory. Instead, he paced the waiting area of the Lima Memorial Hospital's Emergency Room, alternating between trying to see what was happening with Rory and praying that he was going to be okay. Brittany and her family arrived a few hours later, white-faced and feeling responsible, although Sam reassured them that it wasn't their fault; it could've happened anytime. Luckily for everyone, Carole Hudson-Hummel was on duty in the ER that afternoon and was there to help.

"He's okay," she told them. "He said he's been having these attacks since he was two, three years old. Doctors haven't really been able to determine what causes them, and he never knows when one is going to happen until minutes before it does. He's stable right now, but should be on bedrest for a few days. I'd also like you guys to monitor him closely and bring him in immediately if something like this happens again."

Sam nodded seriously. "Can I…can I see him now?"

Carole smiled gently, taking pity on the boy. "You may."

Sam peered around the curtain drawn around Rory's bed. "Hey, baby."

"I'm so embarrassed," Rory mumbled. "I never…wanted you to see me like that, _ever_."

"You scared me," Sam let out a major sigh of relief. "You scared me so much." He walked over to Rory's bedside and held his hand, shuddering when he saw an IV stuck in the crook of Rory's pale, pale arm. "Why don't they know what's wrong with you?"

"They've never figured it out," Rory shrugged vaguely. "And these attacks…they happen at least two or three times a year. I was hoping they'd all happen when I was home again. If it had to happen here, the last thing I'd want is for it to happen in front of you."

Sam's eyes welled up as he slowly noticed how thin and frail Rory looked in that hospital bed. "Don't ever scare me like that again," he scolded gently.

"I promise," Rory murmured. He couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't have another attack before the end of the summer. In fact, he knew exactly why this happened to him a few times a year. Doctors could never give a specific diagnosis, but Rory and his parents knew exactly what was wrong, and they knew how to deal with it. Rory clutched Sam's hand, just wanting to be out of this damn hospital already. He knew that no amount of medicine would help him with his condition, that they could never stop the attacks from happening, and that this was all only going to be harder than ever to explain to Sam.

**To be continued…**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or Losing My Religion.  
**

**Note: Again, boy/boy sex. And a cliffhanger/twist ending. Woo-hoo!  
**

_But that was just a dream  
Try, cry, why, try_

"I can't believe it's over," Rory was cleaning out his locker on the last day of school.

"I know," Sam leaned against the lockers. "But at least we have the whole summer to ourselves, right?"

Rory cleared his throat. "Right."

"And we'll always love each other, right?"

Rory gulped back a sob. "Right," he whispered. "Time really is a slut. She screws everyone."

"_The Fault in Our Stars_," Sam recognized it immediately. "Is our love like Hazel and Augustus?"

"Yes," Rory squeezed his eyes shut to stop the tears from falling. "But perhaps even stronger."

_July_

The summer was full of fun things for the boys. Day-trips to Cedar Point, weekend trips to the beach, swimming, horseback riding, long walks…they did it all. Occasionally, they'd make love when the time felt right, but their relationship was more that of an emotional one than a physical one. They were each other's best friends, and there was no need for them to have sex every other day. It was always slow and gentle, and Sam always held Rory afterwards, telling him that he loved him. Sam knew that he would always love Rory, and would follow him to the ends of the Earth.

They took a particularly memorable camping trip with the other Glee boys (minus Kurt, who absolutely refused to camp in a tent) towards the end of the month. "Rory, I can't believe you've never eaten a s'more before!"

He laughed. "I've never really been camping before. Besides, my mum isn't big on sweets."

"Well, we're going to take your s'more virginity tonight," Puck smirked.

"How does one make a...'smore?"

"Here," Blaine handed him a plate with two graham crackers and a piece of chocolate on it. "Now, you put this marshmallow on a stick and then stick it in the fire."

Rory's eyes widened. "In the fire?"

"Nice and crispy," Mike licked his lips.

"But won't it...be on fire?"

"Just blow it out," Finn shrugged. "It's not that bad. Go on, try it."

Rory hesitantly put said marshmallow into the fire. He watched in wonder as it caught fire. Afraid, he quickly pulled it out and blew hard on it. "Um...now what?"

"Stick it on the chocolate, like this," Joe demonstrated.

"Oh." Rory felt silly for not knowing about this all-American tradition.

"Now, snarf it down," Puck took a big bite of his own s'more.

"Um, okay," Rory looked at his creation curiously. He bit a small piece off and chewed. "Holy crap!"

"Good, right?" Artie smiled, marshmallow stick to his chin.

"Delicious!" Rory ate the rest in three bites.

"You're so cute," Sam snaked an arm around his waist. "Hey, you got some on your lip." He pulled Rory closer and kissed him.

He tasted like chocolate.

It was the sweetest thing Sam had ever tasted.

_August_

"You know what I want?"

Rory craned his neck to look up at Sam. "What do you desire?"

"I want you to take me."

Rory sat up immediately. "I…you…wait, what?"

Sam stared him down. "You heard me. I wanna know what it feels like."

"But…Sam!" Rory could feel himself becoming aroused by the mere thought of being on top of Sam, of thrusting into him, feeling Sam's tightness stretch around him. "I…are you sure? I would not want to hurt you, darling."

"Please," Sam pleaded. "I don't care if it hurts. I just want to feel you in me."

Rory gulped. "Oh…okay…yes…right…right now?"

"Right now," Sam affirmed. Rory started to unzip his pants. "No," Sam stopped him. Rory looked adorably confused. "Strip for me," Sam said slowly, hotly.

Rory's ocean eyes widened. Sam had never asked this of him before. He sat back on his heels, unsure of how to do this. It wasn't within his comfort zone at all, and he didn't want to make a fool of himself. He pulled his shirt off slowly, throwing it somewhere off the bed and onto the floor. He pulled his pants off, also casting them to the floor, leaving him in his underwear. He wasn't sure what to do now. He palmed his semi-erection through the fabric of his boxers. Sam nodded encouragingly and began to undress himself, tossing his clothes alongside Rory's. Rory groaned as his erection strained against the restricting material and hurriedly shed his boxers. He gazed longingly at Sam's member, wanting to suck on it and to please his boyfriend. Without a second thought, he crawled between Sam's legs and took his erection into his mouth.

It was better than Sam ever could have imagined it to be. "Shit, Rory!" What all of a sudden turned his shy, sweet-natured boyfriend into a sex monster? He writhed on the bed as Rory worked his mouth all over his hardened cock. It was nothing compared to anything else he'd done with Rory before; in fact, Sam thought he might just like oral sex with Rory better than regular old sex. He gripped the bedsheets in his fists, panting as Rory sucked him off, stroking where he couldn't take it in his mouth. "Rory…shit, shit, _shit!_" He gasped and bucked his hips involuntarily as he came.

By this point, Rory was very hard, pre-come already leaking from the head of his penis. Face flushed, he grabbed a condom from the bedside table drawer and rolled it on. "On your stomach," he commanded. Sam looked surprised; since when was Rory so…almost…kinky? He rolled over, getting on his elbows and knees. He sort of enjoyed the feeling of his semi-hard cock rubbing against the bedsheets. Rory hesitantly probed Sam's tight virgin-to-gay-sex hole, gently rubbing Sam's lower back in circles as he stretched and prepped his boyfriend to fit him.

"Rory, I'm ready," Sam said after a few minutes. Rory nodded, feeling silly that Sam couldn't see him. He lined himself up and pushed in. Sam clenched his teeth at the initial pain, and Rory gasped aloud at how damn _good_ this felt. Waiting a few moments for Sam to get used to the feeling, he pushed in, again and again. He couldn't watch Sam's reactions, but it was kind of turning him on, and Sam's wild moaning when Rory finally found his prostate made it all the more hot to the Irish boy. He reached around and grasped Sam's penis, stroking it in time to his thrusts into Sam's asshole. Sam closed his eyes; he was going to _come_ soon, he was going to _come _soon, this felt _so_ good, it was _so_ damn good, and he just couldn't take it anymore, and the feeling of this kind of orgasm was intense, it was earth-shattering, it was…it was…he yelled out in ecstasy as he came, harder than he ever had before. The clenching of Sam's hole around Rory's cock was more than enough to send the Irishman over the edge; he came quickly and pulled out. Sam collapsed, sweaty and exhausted, face-first into the pillows.

It was Rory's turn to hold Sam now, and hold him he did, until the morning sun awakened them both.

_August 31_

"Sam, I really need to tell you this."

Sam immediately paused. There was something in Rory's voice that told him that this was serious. "You know you can tell me anything, baby."

"When I go away," Rory said slowly. "I will not be coming back. Ever."

Sam looked confused. "Did you really hate America that much? Well, okay. I guess I can go see you in Ireland or something."

"No," Rory shook his head. "If you do, I will not be there."

Sam frowned. "What do you mean? Is your family moving?"

Rory took a deep breath and counted backwards from ten. "My name is Rory Alexander Anderson. I'm from the year 2040."

Sam stared at the brunette for several moments before bursting into peals of laughter. "Oh, that's a good one! From the year 2040. What, do you have like, superpowers or something? Oh, baby, you make me laugh. Come on, what did you really want to say?"

"I knew you wouldn't believe me," Rory spat. "It's one-hundred percent true!"

Sam sobered. "For real?"

Rory sighed. "My parents are Kurt and Blaine Anderson. I was a surrogate baby."

"Kurt and…wait, like _our_ Kurt and Blaine?"

Rory nodded. "They were married in 2020. I was born in 2024."

Sam was trying to process this. "What…what about Seamus?"

Rory's face fell. "My birth mother got married a few years after she had me. Seamus is her son, her own actual son. He's technically my half-brother."

"And…wait so…please, explain your family to me."

Rory cleared his throat. "Kurt and Blaine have an open adoption contract with my birth mother. Her name is Catherine. I see her sometimes. She, like Rachel's birth mother, agreed to be a surrogate to my fathers. That is why I have Kurt's eyes and his talent of music, such as playing piano—he taught me. That is why I speak French—because they do. I call Kurt 'Pa' and Blaine 'Da'. Rachel Berry is my godmother. Those cousins I mentioned? They are Blaine's brother's children."

"Then why did you tell us all that your last name is Flanagan?"

"My first name was chosen by Blaine. My middle name was chosen by Kurt—after the designer Alexander McQueen. I used my birth mother's last name as a cover. I couldn't very well tell you all that my last name is Anderson, now, could I?"

Sam was still confused. "I don't get it. How are you here, in 2012?"

Rory took another deep breath. "I can time-travel, at will. I have other powers as well—I can sometimes see the future—but it is mostly the time travelling. There is a group of us who can do it. Actually, loads of people can do it. I met these kids at a conference for children who possess the ability. We found out that all of our parents went to high school together, so we made a pact to go and see what they were like when they were our age."

"Wait, wait," Sam held out his hand. "Who are the others?"

"Sugar, Joe, Sebastian, Harmony, and Wade."

"Who are their parents?"

"Sugar is the daughter of Brittany Pierce and Santana Lopez."

"Wow," Sam's eyes widened. "But yeah, I can kind of see that now."

"Sebastian," Rory went on, "is the son of Noah Puckerman and Lauren Zizes."

"Wait, they got back together in the future?"

"Yep," Rory confirmed. "Sebastian was upset to see that they were separated now."

"And what about that Harmony girl?"

"You are not going to believe this, but she is actually the daughter of one Rachel Berry and Quinn Fabray."

Sam nearly fell over. "WHAT?"

"It's true," Rory said quickly. "And Wade is the adopted son of Artie. Kurt and Mercedes are his godparents; that is why he is so much like them."

"Well, how about Joe?"

Rory winced. "I…I should not tell you that."

"You've already told me enough," Sam reasoned.

Rory did not want to do this. He knew this would be his breaking point. He tried to sum up the courage, the words to say this. "He is the son of Mercedes…and you."

"Oh my God," Sam breathed. "No…he…he can't be!"

"He is," Rory felt his heart breaking. "I swear to the Lord."

"So…Mercedes and I…we're married? In the future?"

Rory _knew_ his heart was breaking. "Yes."

Sam's voice was choked. "So you and I…"

"Were never meant to be," Rory broke it to him gently. "This is why I was not supposed to fall in love with you, or with any of you, except possibly Harmony or Sugar, because they are from my time already. Sebastian has already gotten in so much trouble for trying to break my fathers up. We are not supposed to fix things or break things when we go back in time. It will alter the future in ways that could be completely irreparable."

"I still don't understand how you can time-travel."

"None of us do," Rory shrugged. "It's some whacky genetic mistake. All we have to do is close our eyes, say an incantation, vividly imagine a time and place, and we are there."

"But…how long can you stay in a place? And how far back can you travel? Can you go to the future? Um, I mean, _your_ future?"

"We can only stay for up to a year, no more. Any more than that, and we cannot get back home. We can travel as far back to our parent's births. And none of us have ever been able to travel _ahead_ in time; we can only seem to manage to go _back_."

"Wait," a realization was dawning upon Sam. "That attack you had, back in May…"

"Side effect," Rory mumbled. "They suck, but they happen when we go back every so often. We're not entirely positive on what causes them, but we can only guess that it has something to do with our molecules going a bit haywire. Sometimes, they're a warning that we should be going back, that our time is running out. Harmony has already gone back. Joe leaves tomorrow, and Wade the day after that. I believe Sugar leaves today, as well. I'm not sure about Sebastian. He may have gone back around the time that Harmony did."

"What you said, about altering the future if you're not careful…what do you mean?"

"Say someone broke Brittany and Santana up, for good. Then Sugar would not exist. It's hard to explain. For example, I wouldn't be able to harm or kill David Karofsky, because then my parents may not have ever met, and then I really would not exist."

"So…what you're saying…is that once you leave tonight, I'm never going to see you again?"

It was like a knife to Rory's heart. "Yes."

Sam automatically started to cry. "This is why you said you couldn't be with me, isn't it? Because you knew this would happen. My God, Rory, why didn't you tell me before?"

It was Rory's turn to cry. "I couldn't, I just _couldn't_. I didn't want to break your heart."

"You just did," Sam whispered.

Ouch, another razor-sharp blade to Rory's own heart. "I never, ever expected to fall in love with the past version of you. I never even thought it possible. I know you, the future you, and you're so in love with Mercedes. I was shocked when I came here and saw that she had a boyfriend who wasn't you, and that you were nowhere in sight. I had to pretend like I didn't know you, Sam. I had to pretend like I didn't even know my own _parents_."

"Do…do they know?"

"Kurt and Blaine? As in, the present Kurt and Blaine? Yes, they are aware. I am not sure that anyone else alerted their future parents as to who they truly were. Then again, I wasn't going to tell them, until I started having feelings for you and I panicked."

"Wait, so how can present Kurt and Blaine and their future selves both know about you? How can you call them at home? How can you be here in 2012 and be calling them in 2040 and talk to them?"

"It's…complicated," Rory sighed. "Sam, I…I have to go back home," he checked his watch, "in…oh, God, not very much time at all. About an hour."

"Can't you stay just a little longer?" Sam begged.

"No," Rory closed his eyes. "If I go back late, I…well, there are consequences, and some right nasty ones at that." He held Sam's hand. "Sam, I love you more than life itself, and I would love nothing more than to stay here with you, forever, but-"

"You're breaking up with me?" Sam's voice broke.

"I'm afraid so," Rory murmured. "You…you are going to have to forget about me, Sam. In," he quickly checked his watch, "fifty-three minutes, I have to leave you forever."

"I can wait," Sam said suddenly, trying to grasp a ray of hope. "I can wait for you, baby."

"When I am sixteen and you are forty-five? Absolutely not," Rory gasped, appalled.

"I just can't freaking believe this is happening right now," Sam groaned. "My boyfriend is from the future and has to leave me in fifty minutes. Forever."

"I don't know how I did not see this," Rory muttered to himself. "I can see when I am going to get a good grade on a test, but I cannot see myself falling in love with you? Some psychic powers." He brushed some stray tears away from his face. "Sam, can we just cuddle and not say anything until I have to go?"

Sam swallowed around the massive lump that had formed in his throat and nodded, opening his arms for Rory to crawl into one last time. He respected Rory's wishes and did not say a word until there were just three minutes left to go. "I love you," he whispered, kissing Rory firmly, not wanting to ever pull away.

"I love you, too." Rory's breath was shaky, and he could already feel the incredible surge in his veins, the pull in his muscles that told him that it was time to leave. He sat back, minding his distance from Sam, and counted the seconds until the stroke of the hour, at which point he closed his eyes and mumbled the incantation to himself that would send him back.

Before Sam's eyes, the brunette started to flicker and become more and more transparent, until he nearly resembled a ghost as he began to fade away from their current year. "Rory!" He desperately reached out, grabbing Rory's hand one last time before the boy would disappear for good. He felt strange; what was going on? What was that tug behind his stomach, that rush of noise pounding in his ears? He felt as if he was being compressed, like he was slowly being squeezed into a tiny box.

And then, everything went black.

**To be continued…**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or Losing My Religion.**

**Note: To that anon reviewer, this is not a copy of another story (at least, none that I know of). It is of my own creation. To the rest of you, well...this is the last chapter! Heh. Thanks so much for all the reviews and favorites/alerts! So glad you all enjoyed it! Go check out my latest story, The Hunger Glee Games!  
**

_That was just a dream  
Just a dream  
Just a dream  
Dream…_

Sam woke up in an unfamiliar room. He felt as if an elephant was sitting on his chest; ugh, so nauseous and dizzy and God why was the light so _bright_? He tried to sit up but couldn't find the physical strength to do so, that elephant was on his chest and the wind was definitely knocked out of him and _where the hell was he_? He looked to his left and saw Rory there, breathing heavily and looking terrified.

Rory! He was supposed to be back in the future, in 2040, and Sam was supposed to be in 2012. Why was Rory here? Where was here, anyway? "Rory?"

"Shit," Rory swore. "Shit, shit, shit…oh, God, no…no, no, no…"

Sam could hear other voices, could feel footsteps running towards them. "Rory? Oh, honey, you're back!" Wait, that voice sounded familiar. Way too familiar, as if Sam had heard it nearly every school day for the past two years. A man about in his forties came into the room. He looked like an older version of Kurt.

Wait, he _was_ an older version of Kurt. "Pa, I can explain," Rory was saying.

"Explain what, honey?" Kurt—older Kurt—looked down at the floor where Rory was kneeling. "Oh my God…Rory, you didn't…please tell me you didn't."

"I'm so sorry," Rory started to sob openly. "I didn't mean to, it just happened!"

Sam tried to sit up again; no use, the elephant just _wouldn't get off his chest_.

"What's going on?" Another head poked into the room. "Is my boy home?"

Blaine! Future Blaine! Sam's head was spinning; this was almost too much to handle.

His head was starting to pound less and less. He was slowly realizing that this was Rory's kitchen, his kitchen back at home, and that he was in the future, Rory's future. He had gone forward in time somehow and _God he felt awful_. Physically awful, that is; he had no qualms about going with Rory and being with him again.

"…have to get him back," he heard Kurt saying.

"What? N…no, I'm f…fine," he managed to say.

"Holy mother of God," Blaine said aloud. "How did he _survive_ this?"

"I don't know," Kurt's voice was uncharacteristically shaky. "Rory, how did this _happen_?"

"I was going back, I really was," Rory said through his tears. "And I was almost gone, almost gone and he reached for my hand at the last second."

"Typical Evans," Kurt muttered. "Do you know what you've _done_?" He demanded of Sam. Sam shook his head, still trying to regain his breathing. "Because of you, Joe Evans—your _son_—does not exist."

Sam closed his eyes and groaned. "Wh…?"

"By coming here as your seventeen-year-old self, you never married Mercedes Jones," Blaine explained gently. "And because you never married Mercedes, you never had Joe."

"Oh my God," Rory collapsed into a fit of sobs once again. "I told him…I told him about Joe…about all of us…and…and…"

"Shh, you did what you were supposed to," Kurt soothed his son. "Sam, you knew what you were doing and you still did it?"

"Didn't think I'd come back," Sam moaned. He felt weaker than ever.

"I don't know how in the world we're going to get him back," Kurt fretted. "Rory could get in so much trouble over this…how…Rory, do you think you could…?"

"Out of the question," Blaine immediately replied on behalf of his son. "You know it takes Rory a good two or three days to recover from a trip, especially one this long."

"Can't I stay?"

All three Anderson family members looked down at the blonde.

"You'll die if you stay here much longer," Kurt said softly, and Rory again burst into tears. "And even if you lived, you'd have to live knowing that you caused Joe to disappear from existence—again I remind you that he is your _son_—and with the fact that you can never see your family again, as they'd be grown up by now."

"Wait, so my future self…it doesn't exist?"

"Because you're here, no," Blaine explained. "The laws of time-travel are very complicated, but very firm. You have to go back soon. The sooner you do, the higher a chance you have of living."

"Sir…Blaine…I'd rather die here with Rory than live the rest of my life without him."

"No," Rory said in a strained voice. "Sam, I will not allow that. Go, go back to 2012. Find Mercedes, tell her you want her back. Live the rest of your life with her, enjoy the time you have with Joseph, your child. I promise, we will see each other again. We will not be able to be together, but you can be like an uncle to me and always be there for me." He clutched Sam's hand. "I love you, and it's because I love you that I'm letting you go."

"But, Rory…"

"No." Rory was positive of this. "No, Sam. Go back, please. It's all I ask of you."

"Rachel and Harmony are on their way over; Harmony can take him back. They'll be here in ten minutes." Kurt was as organized and practical as always.

"R…Rachel lives in…in Ireland?"

"Temporarily," Kurt explained. "It's a long story, and you'll see it as you get older. Or, I should say, as we all get older."

Rory refused to let go of Sam's hand until Rachel and her daughter showed up, despite Blaine insisting that he go upstairs to rest. "Is breá liom tú, I love you," Rory leaned down to kiss Sam.

"I love you too," Sam said with his last ounce of strength. Rory begrudgingly let go and stood up, burying his face in Kurt's chest, clutching to his father with all he had. Kurt rubbed his son's back, rocking him back and forth as Rachel's raven-haired girl took Sam by the hand and closed her eyes, saying the words to send them back. She reappeared a few minutes later, alone this time. "He's gone," Rory cried. "He's really gone."

Sam woke up hours later; God, his head hurt. Why did movies and TV shows make time-travelling look so _easy_? It was a right bitch, Sam thought, as he staggered to the bathroom to puke.

Rory.

Rory was officially gone from his life. He'd never see him again, or at least, not for another twenty-eight years. Well, make that twelve years; Sam vowed to be there the day Rory was born. He wanted to be there to look into those ocean-blue eyes again.

It all seemed like a dream to him.

He looked down at his finger; how had Rory's promise ring ended up there?

Had it all been just a dream?

**The End**


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